After Infinity: The Loud House
by MarcellusMiro66
Summary: Inspired by MasterCaster's "The Snap", how exactly was Royal Woods affected by the events of Infinity War? (DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything; I am merely a fan of the movie and the former's story.)
1. Chapter 1

**_"We have just learned that the superheroes Iron Man and Spider-Man have stowed away in the spaceship. Their current locations aside from that fact are unknown, but this appears to be the first in an alien invasion, for the Avengers are currently missing in action as a direct result of the Sokovia Accords and have yet to respond to this attack. We'll bring you more information as we acquire it. From Gravity Falls, I'm Shandra Jimenez, KOMO-4 News."_**

The news was such a punch to the guts that it made difficult for Lincoln to breathe, let alone process it all. _Did they lose? Did the Avengers lose this battle? No. No, they couldn't have. They're the Avengers; they never lose._ Rummaging through his backpack, he located the communicator given to him two years prior.

 _"Lincoln...?"_

Lincoln looked up from his communicator and turned towards the stairway. What he saw before was a confused and scared Leni stumbling down the stairs whilst rubbing her head in pain. What he saw after...were her ashes crumbling to the ground. His eyes widening in horror at the sight before him, he slowly approached the dust mound before crouching down and running his hand through it. Glancing toward the top of the staircase, he found Lori wearing an equally horrified expression on her face. She carefully sauntered down the stairs and joined her younger brother in examining the pile of ashes.

 _"Guys? Something's happening..."_

Everybody turned to Luan now, who managed to somehow not crack a single joke before she disappeared into thin air. Everybody turned to her but Lynn, who instead glanced down at her fading hand. In a soft and terrified voice, she called out to her parents one more time: _"Mom...? Dad...?"_ Lynn's ashes blew away as her parents reached for her before holding their remaining children close.

 _"L-Lincoln? I don't feel so good..."_

Lincoln turned to Lana now with horror. The second tomboy in the family stumbled away from the group while clutching her stomach.

"No... No, you're alright. You're not going anywhere."

 _"I-I don't know what's happening... I don't – "_

A hug was all Lincoln could give Lana as her turn to suffer the same fate as her two sisters was nearing.

 _"I-I don't want to go... Lincoln, please... I don't want to go... Don't make me go..."_

The two siblings remained in a standstill hug before Lana eventually died in Lincoln's arms; he gazed at her ash-filled hands for a moment's notice before...

 _"Lincoln..."_

…his ears perked up at the sound of Lisa's voice. Despite the fact that she too was fading away from existence, she couldn't help but crack a smile and resign to her fate. _But why?_

 _"We're in the endgame now..."_

Those were her famous last words before she joined in the wind her sisters...and her father.

Rita turned toward her husband and her jaw fell in horror as he too joined one half of their ten daughters into the afterlife. Glancing around the scene that unfolded before her family and noticing that nobody else from it was fading away, she finally broke down and sobbed into her hands as Lori bent down to comfort her. Meanwhile, the remnants of the family members (Luna, Lola, Lucy, and Lily) took careful steps as to not to accidentally step on the piles of dust that were scattered around the living room. As she continued to hug their mother, Lori noticed Lincoln stare with a blank expression at a small iPhone-like device in his hand.

 _"Lincoln, what is that?"_

 _. . ._

"Something's wrong," was all Lincoln stated before marching over to the front door and pulling it open.

 _. . ._

 _"What is happening?"_

* * *

Clyde and his two fathers watched as chaos began to unfold on the streets of Royal Woods. People began running amok, cars came banged up, and house were being broken into. The one thing that served as a chain link to the chaos? The citizens disappearing in droves. He, however, was neither of these citizens who felt the pain of losing a loved one...just yet.

"I don't know, Clyde..." Harold shook his head in uncertainty, "but I have a _very_ bad feeling about this."

 _"H-Harold?"_

Clyde and Harold turned to the latter's husband before they both gasped in horror as he began to fade away. Howard had enough strength to glance down to his crumbling hands and up to his husband and son, calling out the former's name one more time. The both of them remained staring into the distance and at the spot where their loved one used to be.

. . .

 _"Lincoln..."_

Harold turned to Clyde with a look of confusion, "What?"

"Lincoln... Maybe he knows what's going on! Come on, Dad!"

Clyde took off running to his friend's house, praying to himself that he hadn't faded away already while his father trailed behind. _Lincoln, please be safe..._

* * *

 ** _BEEP!_**

 ** _BEEP!_**

 ** _BEEP!_**

Ronnie Anne had her eyes glued to the TV the moment the people started fading away. Her iPhone was placed to her right ear as the dial tone kept blaring in it. She had been trying to call Lincoln for some time now ever since the mayhem begun, but so far so good with little success. This just didn't make any sense to her whatsoever. Why would people just disappear into thin air devoid of any explanation? There had to be one somewhere.

 _"Mija...?"_

She turned to face her Aunt Frida...and almost wished she hadn't. She was one of those people now.

 _"Aunt Frida...?"_

 _. . ._

 _"Aunt Frida!"_

Ronnie Anne rushed out to her, but it was too late; she had already dissipated along with an arriving Rosa, whose horrified expression of her daughter-in-law fading away from existence was the last thing she did before joining her. A tearful Carlota rushed down the hallway and saw her younger cousin threatening to release tears of her own; in response, she carefully made her way over and engulfed her in a hug.

Downstairs, Bobby and Maria exited the elevator and sprinted their way to their apartment when the latter began to slow down. The former noticed this and went to help her, only to softly gasp at the realization that his mother was disappearing.

 _"Mamá…"_

Bobby reached for her as she did before he completely broke down into tears of despair. A moment later, he slowly stood up and wiped away those tears; he needed to stay strong. For the rest of his family and who remained. For his little sister. Entering the apartment, he found two piles of ashes and a sobbing Ronnie Anne hugging her eldest cousin. Carlota herself was releasing silent tears, only stopping when she noticed Bobby at the door with a crestfallen expression.

"Bobby... Where's Aunt Maria?"

He couldn't answer her question. Of course, given the horror he witnessed, you couldn't blame him.

* * *

The Yates Family were ones to prepare ahead of time. Numerous occasions included their daily plans, a road trip, and even a meeting at the UN. However, they never would've expected to add one to their list: an unexpected apocalypse.

They watched as chaos unfolded on their street and noticed a young African-American boy sprint down the sidewalk with his father ftrailing behind. Fear began to overwhelm them all, as the fantasy of the end of the world becoming a reality seemed nearly foreign. Indeed, though, this one-in-a-million possibility was now their worst nightmare.

 _"Honey...?"_

 _. . ._

 _"Jancey!"_

 _. . ._

 _"Dad, what's happening...?"_

 _. . ._

 _"Beatrix!"_

 _. . ._

 _"Dad, I'm scared..."_

 _. . ._

 _"Bumper!"_

The patriarch of the Yates Family could watch in utter despair as his wife, eldest daughter, and eldest son that bore his name crumble into ashes right before his very eyes. He fell into his knees as he held what used to be his dearly beloved in the palm of his hands and released silent tears. His second eldest daughter patted her father's shoulder in sympathy while hugging her little brother and his youngest son, who cried into her chest whilst engulfed in the hug.

A few moments later, Bumper Sr. stood up and set down his wife's ashes ever-so gently. He gestured his two remaining children to follow him outside and witness the destruction occurring. They glanced all around them and found people rushing out of their houses, screaming in panic. Should they do the same?

. . .

 _No..._

. . .

"Come on, children."

Belle and Beau followed their father down the same path the young African-American took before. _Maybe the Louds have an idea on what's going on..._

* * *

Cristina watched as civilians all around began to fade away. She somehow managed to remain calm throughout the ordeal; uncharacteristic of her, this was probably due to her parents being one of the many victims of this phenomena. A casacade of somber tears were released for some time now, and she felt nothing but numbness flow through her as a result of the trauma.

As she watched everybody she knew and anybody she barely knew, Cristina strolled through town as people began wrecking havoc out of fear and despair, but not desperation. They stole and heisted whatever they could get their hands on without a care in the already doomed world. For the most part, nobody was getting hurt except the rare few who were getting mugged at the expense of a minor upgrade.

"Oi! Cristina!"

The little red-haired girl turned to her right and found a girl her age sprinting towards her. She had black hair with purple highlights gelled upward, pink eyeshadow, a gap between her two front teeth, and pierced ears with no earrings in sight; she wore an aubergine jacket, a mini-t-shirt with horizontal stripes, a pink checkered skirt, and white platform boots. The girl in question bore an uncanny resemblance to one of Lincoln's older sisters. _But which one?_

 ** _"Tabby...?"_**

 _Yes, I do believe that was her name._

"Oh, thank goodness you remembered me, mate! The crazy thing just happened! I was just in my room practicing my guitar when my parents cried out for me. I rush to the living room and find nothing but two piles of cinder on the floor! Then I hear some screaming coming from outside and go out to people disappearing into thin air! I get to thinking...those two piles of cinder on the living floor...were my parents."

The little black-haired girl noticed that Cristina was barely paying attention to her, and for good reason. Tabby slowly approached her classmate, whose eyes were red from presumably crying. It was only then that the horrific realization hit her.

"Cristina... Did your parents..."

She could only nod softly and wiped away any impending tears with her arm. A wave of remorse hit Tabby like a tidal wave, for her immediate response was to hug Cristina tightly; the recipient was met with shock and surprise, but eventually embraced her consoling friend. They both pulled away a few minutes later, but they both felt a little better than before.

"Come on then. I know someone who can help us."

Cristina could only nod again before she followed Tabby to their destination...wherever that was.

* * *

Carol watched from inside her house as pandemonium broke out from outside. Her mother had just vanished into thin air along with a couple of her single friends as they were preparing to leave town. Conner and his younger sister (by a few minutes) Cassandra were packing their own belongings when the madness begun, resulting in them hiding in the closet in fear of any looters arriving at the front door. In her own eyes, anybody who would dare lay their hands on her younger siblings would have to pry them off out of her own dead hands first.

The first thing she did was rummage through her closet and locate two suitcases. One was filled with emergency money, passports, and the first aid kits among other survival equipment; the other was filled with two 9mm handguns and a 12-gauge shotgun. Opening the second one first, she loaded and chambered her 3rd Generation Glock 17 and her SIG-Sauer P226R before tucking them into her Blackhawk Serpa holsters. She then took up her customized Mossberg 500 Cruiser and loaded five shells before pumping it and slinging it over her shoulder. Kicking the now closed suitcase under her bed and taking up the first one, she called out for her siblings before picking her backpack.

"Conner! Cassie! Come on!"

Both siblings came out of the closet with their backpacks already slung. Conner approached his older sister first, Cassie trailing behind.

"Carol..."

"I already know what you're going to say, Conner."

"You do?"

" ** _'It's an alien invasion, Carol. I told you so, Carol.'_** My question for you, Conner, is this: are you really that adamant to place blame on them for not properly doing their job?"

 _. . ._

"I probably shouldn't be."

"That's right. You can't blame them for a fault that isn't theirs. If they win, they win. If they lose, they lose."

 _. . ._

"Your point?"

"They do it together...just as _we_ have to stick together."

. . .

"You're right. Where are we going?"

"I'll tell you on the way."

Carol ushered her siblings into the car and drove off to their destination...wherever that was.

* * *

Nikki watched from all over the city as people began robbing empty convenience stores and supermarkets. Like Cristina, she maintained a sense of calmness and kept flowing through her, but how long it would continue to do so was anyone's guess. Upon seeing her two best friends fade to dust before her very eyes, her paranoia increased tenfold, wondering if she herself were to suffer the same fate. She didn't, and remained in perfect and pristine condition for the remainder of the apocalypse's beginning.

 ** _HONK!_**

The tomboy jumped at the blare of a car horn and off her skateboard, which she kicked up and held up baseball-style. When she got a better look at the driver of the vehicle she unintentionally walked in front of, she lowered her (so far) only mode of transportation.

"Ronnie Anne!"

"Nikki!"

Ronnie Anne leapt out of the car and into her friend's arms. Nikki accepted the hug before pulling away to examine her from head to toe.

"You're okay."

"Yeah. My family...well, what's left of them...are in the car."

 _. . ._

"Who's gone?"

"My mom, aunt, and grandmother. You?"

 _. . ._

"My parents, Casey, and Sameer. Where are you all headed?"

"To Lincoln's house. I figured out he may have an idea on what's going on."

 _. . ._

"Well, can I come with?"

"I was just gonna ask you the same thing."

 _. . ._

"Sure. Why not? Where else do I have to go?"

* * *

Silence had befallen the city of Royal Woods as the remaining citizens had wandered aimlessly around their respective neighborhoods. The time was approaching dusk now, and nobody so far thus had a credible hypothesis as to what was happening not just in Michigan, but the entire world. Nobody except Lisa and possibly Lincoln, whose receiving of the final words spoke by his sister sent into an investigation of the true meaning behind them. It was going to be rather tricky, considering that Lisa was nothing but a pile of ashes settling in the house.

His family watched with concern and intrigue from a distance in the family van. Lincoln had previously made an odd request in which he asked to be taken to the park; his excuse was simple – he needed a quiet place to think. Lori was unsure, but she complied with it on the condition that the rest of them join him. She watched as her brother's gaze was strictly fixated on the same iPhone-style gadget from before. _What is it, and **why** is it important to him? _She never got the chance to dwell further as her (and presumably everyone else's) thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a vehicle. Exiting the van, she allowed herself a little bit of joy when Bobby and his family revealed themselves to be the present parties. Hugging her former dearly beloved, Ronnie Anne appeared from behind him and noticed Lincoln now in a standstill. As she marched off to approach him, more and more people began to show up. From the McBride and Yates Families to Cristina and Nikki, the people who materialized were those familiar and unfamiliar, but they all had one goal in common.

"Lincoln, what is this? What the hell is happening?"

Lincoln himself didn't seem to hear Ronnie Anne, let alone acknowledge her presence. He was too focused on the communication appliance to notice the group of people building up from behind him. Suddenly, a realization hit him hard faster than a speeding bullet train:

 ** _"Lincoln... We're in the endgame now..."_**

Turning to Ronnie Anne and only Ronnie Anne, Lincoln could only mutter two words:

"Oh, God..."

* * *

 _ **A/N** : So, I just read **MasterCaster** 's " **The Snap** " a few days ago and I loved it. __Therefore, I decided to take this story and **SonicN** 's review on the survivors and victims of Thanos' Snap to deliver my take on the aftermath of **Infinity War**. I apologize if it seems rushed or worthy of plagiarism, but that last bit was avoided all the way. I also have a full list of the survivors and victims of this Snap for the next chapter if this one does relatively well._


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N** : As I stated in the first chapter, this is a list of the onscreen survivors and victims of Thanos' fingersnap, but I probably shouldn't consider this the full list yet:_

 _– **" Survivors"** (21 So Far):_  
 _• **Lincoln Loud**_  
 _• **Lori Loud**_  
 _• **Luna Loud**_  
 _• **Lucy Loud**_  
 _• **Lola Loud**_  
 _• **Lily Loud**_  
 _• **Rita Loud**_  
 _• **Clyde McBride**_  
 _• **Harold McBride**_  
 _• **Ronnie Anne Santiago**_  
 _• **Bobby Santiago**_  
 _• **Carlota Casagrande**_  
 _• **Bumper Yates Sr.**_  
 _• **Belle Yates**_  
 _• **Beau Yates**_  
 _• **Cristina**_  
 _• **Tabby  
** • **Carol Pingrey**_  
 _• **Bratty Kid** ("Conner Pingrey")_  
 _• **Bratty Kid's Sister** ("Cassandra Pingrey")_  
 _• **Nikki**_

 _– **" Victims"** (22 So Far):_  
 _• **Leni Loud**_  
 _• **Luan Loud**_  
 _• **Lynn Loud**_  
 _• **Lana Loud**_  
 _• **Lisa Loud** ("We're In The Endgame Now...")_  
 _• **Lynn Loud Sr.**_  
 _• **Howard McBride**_  
 _• **Maria Santiago**_  
 _• **Frida Casagrande**_  
 _• **Rosa Casagrande**_  
 _• **Jancey Yates**_  
 _• **Beatrix Yates**_  
 _• **Bumper Yates Jr.**_  
 _• **Cristina's Parents**_  
 _• **Tabby's Parents**_  
 _• **Bratty Kid's Mom**_  
 _• **Casey**_  
 _• **Sameer**_  
 _• **Nikki's Parents**_

 _In total, that makes it 44 survivors and 55 victims. You can take guesses on who lives and who dies, but only I know both. With that..._

 _Enjoy! If you can..._

* * *

Nightfall began to fall upon Royal Woods. The citizens had resided in the park for some time now, with fear and uncertainty plaguing the atmosphere around them upon learning that this strange event had spread throughout the entire world. Chattering amongst themselves about the unexplainable phenomenon, the remaining adults of the Casagrandes consulted with Rita and Bumper Yates Sr. while their respective offspring exchanged small yet meaningful sentences of reassurance. All of them did...except Lincoln and Ronnie Anne. The former sat on a hill with his communication device still the center of the spotlight, while the latter watched her siblings talk with the others. Apprehension had been overwhelming her for the past hour, but concern was placed above said apprehension. Lincoln had been doing absolutely nothing but staring at the communication device given to him a few years ago.

Of course, given that Lana was one of the many casualties involved, it shouldn't come as a surprise in the slightest. After all, she was the one who tagged along with their previous adventure to a new world, one of many. He in turn couldn't find it within himself not to forgive her for any mistakes she may have made that was pinned on him.

That moment, Ronnie Anne decided to approach Lincoln, who was now in a standstill staring dramatically into the distance while still clutching the communication device.

"Lincoln...?"

"She didn't want to go, Ronnie Anne. Lana wasn't ready..."

Although his back turned toward her, Ronnie Anne could clearly pick up on Lincoln's intent to cry out of pressure. He had lost half of his family in the span of a few minutes (and in one day, no less), giving him good reason to do so. She in response hugged him from behind and buried her head into his shoulder. It took him a full moment for him to fully sink into the hug, but that full moment was better than nothing.

"It's not your fault."

"I should've done something."

"You weren't able to."

"That's the point."

 _. . ._

"Did he call you?"

 _. . ._

"No. I'm starting to think something happened to him...if he isn't already turned to dust like the rest of the world."

"We should go back there, then. Check up on him, do some recon."

"Not yet. Half of the world's population just disappeared, and my family has enough stress inflicted upon them already."

"You're right, sorry about that. So...what now?"

. . .

"I have to get back to my house and Lisa's room."

"Why?"

"Before she faded, she told this: **_'We're in the endgame now...'_** Does that mean anything to you?"

"Should it? I mean...it sounds like a comic book purist would say if..."

"If what?"

. . .

"If they were talking to a superhero prepping them for a final showdown."

"Wait... You don't think...?"

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne's eyes widened at the realization before them...before they both took off running back towards the Loud House. Clyde, Cristina, Tabby, and Nikki saw take off and decided to follow them back. The both of them didn't seem to notice the banded quartet follow them back to the house until they all arrived at Lisa's room at the same time.

"Clyde! Cristina and Tabby?"

"Nikki? What are you guys doing here?"

"We saw you blokes run off and decided to follow you, of course!" Tabby crossed her arms.

"I, on the other hand, sorta heard what you two were talking about," Clyde hugged his arms by contrast.

"Wait a minute. What were you two talking about?" Nikki interjected before she somewhat confirmed Lincoln's words, "It sounded like something about us being in the endgame now."

"Okay, hold on!" Ronnie Anne flailed her hands in front of them to stop them from questioning her and Lincoln even further, "You're right, Nikki, but what you heard was completely out of context."

"Really? Because it sounds like something a superhero would say in a dire crisis," Clyde implied.

. . .

"Yeah, you got me beat," Ronnie Anne shrugged, "What's your opinion, Linc?"

By the time she turned to face him, Ronnie Anne had discovered that Lincoln had already entered Lisa's room. She entered inside next, followed by Clyde, Cristina, Tabby, and finally Nikki. Seeing that he was rummaging through every crack and crevice, they all began to mirror him.

"Where are we looking for, Lincoln?"

"Something that will shed some light on this whole endgame ordeal."

"What about this disc labeled **_'Infinity Stones'_**?"

Everyone now turned to Cristina, who immediately blushed out of embarrassment for being the current center of the spotlight. She handed the DVD to a thanking Lincoln, who examined it from back to front before his eyes caught notice of the computer a few feet from where he stood. Walking over and turning it on, the first thing displayed on the screen was a passcode. Taking yet another moment to think it over, he took a wild guess that turned out to be a lucky one as well.

"What was the password?"

"Clyde!" Ronnie Anne chastised through gritted teeth.

"Taking that this is Lisa into consideration..." Lincoln began before her screen came to light. Inserting the disc, a mini-screen popped up and along with it a question: **_"Do You Wish To Start From The Beginning?"_** with the option of either **_' Yes'_** or **_' No'_**. Glancing down at the time bar which spread from 0:00 to 5:03 (with a yellow mark at the 4:27 point), he chose the former and not the latter. Everybody else in the room got situated for a full five minutes of exposition.

 _(~****~)_

 ** _BZZZ!_**

 ** _BZZZ!_**

 ** _BZZZ!_**

 _A tired and disheveled Lisa flickered on screen with her hand reached out, possibly adjusting the webcam to the left. When she did, the scientist began to inhale and exhale deep breathes, a surefire signal that whatever she was going to say was not going to be good or great in the slightest. Lo and behold, that assumption made was proven to be correct._

 ** _"Ladies and gentlemen... What I'm about to display before you is strictly classified information reminiscent of the 1963 JFK Assassination and the myths surrounding Area 51."_**

 _She adjusted the camera again, this time to the right in order to capture a crystal clear image of a tan FBI-style profile folder, which was labelled with a " **CLASSFIED** " stamp. Opening it up, she pulled out a first set of stapled documents which listed the details of six multicolored gemstones. The first was blue, the second was yellow, the third was red, the fourth was purple, the fifth was green, and the sixth/final was orange; all of them were out of order in the list in which she described them as such._

 ** _"I am paraphrasing what a royal sorcerer informed me, so you may need to bear with me here. In the dawn of the universe, there was nothing. Then, boom! The Big Bang sent six elemental crystals hurtling across the virgin universe. These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence. These aspects in question were Space, Reality, Power, Soul, Mind...and Time."_**

 _She flipped to the second page and skimmed through a list of objects that turned out to be the former housing compartments of these gemstones. The first was a wooden brown staff with a owl tip, its eyes glowing a midnight blue; next to it was a picture of the Space Stone._

 ** _"The Space Stone was first located in this staff which was forged in the Demon Realm. The stone itself is currently of unknown origin, but my suspicions that have yet to be confirmed have led me to believe that it could be traced back to a mystical empire known as Neverland. I am unsure of the reality of it all, but if my brother's dimension hopping are to be believed...my suspicions are to be confirmed."_**

 _The second was a red opal amulet that served as the pendant for a silver necklace; next to it was the Mind Stone._

 ** _"The Mind Stone was discovered in the Amulet of Avalor, which is currently in the possession of a young princess named Sofia Balthazar. The Amulet can, among other things, can choose its current bearer and bless him or her with a magical power in return of a good deed. Should the Amulet be stolen from the bearer, a deadly safeguard will befall upon the thief in question."_**

 _The third was a wand...a trio of them, to be exact. The first wand was_ _light purple with white wings attached to the grip. The bell of the wand had a blue circle with a gold star and pink hearts surrounding the crystal star inside. There was a yellow crown on the tip of the wand, a blue butterfly between the bell and grip, and a yellow tip with a blue heart at the end of the grip. The second wand was also_ _light purple with white wings, but said wings were more sharper and curved more toward the wand's tip. The faceplate consisted of a light blue circle with a pentagonal pattern, half of the gold star, and five pink hearts. The yellow crown on the tip of the wand was retained from its previous appearance, but the butterfly between the bell and grip and the heart at the grip's base were now gold in place of blue, with the butterfly taking on a new, larger shape and bluish-purple tape also wrapped around the grip. The third and final wand was now dark_ _purple with white wings, but the wings were softer-edged and now resembled butterfly wings with Persian blue hearts. The faceplate consisted of a light-blue circle with a pentagonal pattern, a whole gold star, and five pink hearts while the grip had diagonal purple and dark purple stripes. The yellow crown on the wand's tip was replaced by two red horns, there was a red heart between the bell and grip, and the wand's base held a pink crystal._

 ** _"The Reality Stone was held in the Royal Magic Wand of the Butterfly Family, the presumably now former rulers of the Kingdom of Mewni. As a typical magical wand would, it can cast spells, produce attacks, and transform objects. However, most importantly, it can also bring into being whatever the user cogitates of a certain reality, hence the name."_**

 _The fourth was a purple spherical gemstone held in another wooden staff; next to it was the Power Stone._

 ** _"The Power Stone was dubbed with many titles over time, the most prominent of which being Selene's Orb, the Heart of Zamballa, and the Eye of Midnight. It can enlarge the user's physical capabilities and even manipulate energy strong enough to decimate an entire planet. A planet known as Xandar is currently in charge of keeping it locked away out of pure safety."_**

 _The fifth was a glowing green talisman and a gold scepter in which the talisman was previously housed within; next to it was the Time Stone._

 ** _"The Time Stone was conceived as the Talisman of Merlock, a diabolical sorcerer who lost it during a final encounter with an anthropomorphic duck. It then resurfaced in Agrabah as the Oracle's Scythe in the hands of Cassim, the leader of a ruthless band of thieves. It granted the power of harnessing the flow of time, either on a small or large scale, and lock its enemy in a continuous time loop."_**

 _The sixth and final was...a plain bold question mark; next to it was the Soul Stone._

 ** _"The Soul Stone was the only one I have not deduced as of this moment, and I fear I cannot. However, it has been stated that it may be the most dangerous out of all of the Infinity Stones. In order to acquire it...it requires a personal sacrifice..."_**

 _Closing up the folder, Lisa's somber expression transitioned into that of a concerned one._

 ** _"Unfortunately, the war these stones will inevitably bring...may be already here. Lincoln, if you're listening...I need you to do so carefully. The world is currently not the weight on your shoulders, but you may be one of the many keys to saving not just Earth...but the entire universe. My dearest apologies, older brother, but...there is no other way..."_**

 _The video ended not soon after...for a tearful Lisa had forgotten to turn off the webcam. Until she didn't._

 _(~****~)_

A stunned silence akin to the earlier one in the park filled the room, but this time was as if the sense of uneasiness had increased tenfold. Lincoln slowly stood up and began to pace around like he did before. Ronnie Anne joined him, following him wherever he went.

"So...what do we do?" Cristina fiddled her fingers.

At that, Lincoln (and Ronnie Anne) abruptly stopped before turning toward Cristina. His hardened expression from thinking too much soon softened when he saw her terrified face, complemented by a solemn sigh.

"There's no _we_ in it, Cristina. This isn't your fight."

"Try and stop us, you jumped-up little shit," Nikki protested as she stood up too, "By the looks of it, we're already involved."

"Pardoning the girl's foul mouth..." Tabby interjected, "She's right. We have to get to the bottom of this."

"I'm sorry, **_we_**?" Clyde began to panic. "I mean, I'm not arguing against this, but..."

"Clyde, you didn't complain when we dimension-hopped a total of 10 or more," Ronnie Anne pointed out, "Why are you complaining now?"

"Because that mission's brochure said nothing about saving the entire universe," Clyde retorted, "Plus, I was complaining before...mentally speaking."

"Speaking of which," Nikki interrupted again, "You three dimension-hopped?"

 _"Guys."_

Everybody turned to an equally tired and disheveled Lincoln, who pinched his nose bridge and sighed again.

"Even if I wanted to include you guys, we still have to travel away from Royal Woods to Middleburg. And then we have to still find him and figure out what exactly is happening here."

"Well, who exactly do we have to find?"

"Penn Zero...Part-Time Hero."

Cristina, Tabby, and Nikki exchanged confused glance before asking in unison, **_"Who?"_**

"Oh, right," Lincoln nodded before apologized, "Sorry, you girls weren't there."

 _. . ._

"Okay. I'm in."

Everybody turned to a shrugging Nikki in bewilderment, whose face eventually housed a growing smile. "I have absolutely no idea who Penn Zero is, but he sounds like a badass. Plus, if we're going to save the world, I can't have you take all the credit, Linc."

Lincoln turned to the rest of his friends and looked at them expectantly. Tabby nodded in agreement, "Color me pleased as punch, mate."

Cristina was the last to accept the offer, "Nobody's gonna get killed, right?"

"Of course not," Ronnie Anne placed a hand of reassurance on her shoulder, "But no promises when it comes to getting hurt."

She visibly winced at the mention of that, but she nodded at last.

"Wow, that was quick," Clyde remarked, "But how are we going to get to Middleburg without getting caught?"

"Just say please."

The six of them turned toward the doorway to find Luna with a pair of car keys.

 _Huh._


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N** : So I read a guest review that went something like this: **"**_ ** _You lost me on this one, there doesn't seem to be a believable means at their disposal to compete with the infinity gauntlet, even if it is damaged._**

 ** _Why did all those other people outside the Loud family know to go to them? Why would they think they would know about something about it?_ _"_**

 _The answer is: they don't. They have absolutely no idea what they've gotten themselves into... They have bitten off more than they can chew... They have come to head to head over heels... Despite this million-to-one chance of saving not just the world, but the **entire universe** , they only went because it felt it was the right thing to do (and in the case of Nikki, a certain kind of personal gain...) and it's what heroes do. However, they're barely close to being described as such, and they'll eventually realize how in over their heads they were. Case in point, the trope known as " **Reality Ensues** ". _

_Also, I would like to apologize for this rushed chapter; I was in a bad funk. I'll try to rewrite this whenever I can._ _Now, with that said..._

 _Enjoy! If you can..._

* * *

 _. . ._

 _. . ._

 _. . ._

"This was a terrible plan."

Luna was currently driving the six kids to Middleburg, having left the city of Royal Woods just two hours ago. For the most part so far, none of their remaining family members had called them yet, let alone attempt to. That was more concerning than them actually trying to.

"In all fairness, Luna, it was technically your idea."

"No, Ronnie Anne, it was _my brother's_ idea; I merely agreed to it."

All of the kids in the back sans Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were sleeping away in order to get a head start on their unofficial first mission. The couple themselves were bickering with Luna about their decision to bring along some friends, some of them she never officially met...with the exception of Tabby, of course. Lincoln pointed something out that Luna failed to do earlier before they left.

"If you didn't like the idea, Luna, then why did you agree on it?"

"Because I was focused on saving the world and restoring it, but then I realized how idiotic and crazy that would seem. Plus, Lincoln, I actually thought it was a doomed one to begin with; I overheard you guys talking."

"How much did you hear?" Ronnie Anne tilted her head.

"Enough." Luna shrugged, "It still ticks me off that you dragged Lana into your...dimension-hopping."

"You think I wanted to?" Lincoln shot her a dirty look, "Believe me, I didn't know that she stowed away until I did."

"And Clyde did the same thing," Ronnie Anne defended him.

"Yeah, but that's Clyde. This is _Lana_. Our **_own sister_** , Lincoln."

Luna pulled over to a presumably packed hotel to park and pinched her nose bridge. "I'm not mad at you, Linc. If anything, I'm mad at myself. It's not that I don't want you to make a difference in the world, it's just that..."

"I could've gotten hurt."

A nod confirmed Lincoln's suspicions.

"Luna... I did get hurt, but it's better than getting killed."

"That's the point. What if you do killed and none of us are there?"

"I'm not going to."

"You don't know that."

"You're right, I don't. But...it can't hurt to do so, huh?"

Lincoln got out of the car and slung his backpack over his shoulders. He was carrying his luggage in one hand and the same iPhone in the other. "We are staying here for the night?"

"If so..." Ronnie Anne followed him out not soon after, "We need all the rest we can get. Right?"

"Yes... Yes, we should."

Luna turned off the engine and picked up a sleeping Tabby to check them in; Lincoln grabbed Clyde and Ronnie Anne took Nikki, leading them to the entrance. They all entered to find some of the guests hanging out in the lobby. A young woman, presumed to be the concierge, arrived from the center and approached the group.

"Six total?"

"Yeah," Luna nodded as she gestured to the six kids, "We're just on a...road trip of sorts."

"Older sister?"

"Third, actually. I'm currently the third sister in a family of ten."

" _Sisters?_ Wow, consider me lucky. My name's _literally_ Third. Ariella Third, to be exact."

"Nice to meet you, Ariella," Luna greeted the concierge with a handshake before she glanced around, "The name's Luna. How is it possible that a hotel is still up and running during a time like this?"

Ariella could only shake her head in disbelief and chuckle lightly. "I've been asking myself the same question for the past hour. Give me a few moments and I'll give you your key."

"Should I sign something first?"

"Luna, it's the end of the world. I doubt anybody has time for that."

Clyde began to stir as soon as Ariella left to check them in.

"Linc? What happened? Where are we?"

"At a hotel. We need rest. A lot of it."

At the 13th floor, Ariella gave them the key and wished that they would enjoy their stay. Entering inside, Luna placed Tabby on one bed while Ronnie Anne and a still sleeping Nikki plopped down on the other one. Lincoln and Clyde sank into the bed Tabby was on before sighing in relief at the comfort of the warm mattress.

"Luna was right."

"About what?"

"This was a bad idea."

"What was?"

"You and the others coming with me. I made a huge mistake."

Clyde looked aghast at Lincoln before allowing himself a little smile. "Lincoln, we were the ones who persuaded you to take us along. If anything, we made the huge mistake."

"But I agreed. Clyde... Why did you want to come?"

"Because you're my best friend. Anything you do, I do. Plus, who was the one who convinced you Ronnie Anne isn't all bad as she seemed?"

"... You did?"

"Exactly! I helped you out as much as Ronnie Anne did! Why should saving the world be any different?"

"Because it isn't saving the _world_ , Clyde. It's saving the **_universe_**. Many other people's lives other than the ones on Earth depend on it. Not to mention, we have no idea exactly what these Infinity Stones are, only that they're WMDs."

Lincoln huffed in frustration as he gazed at the iPhone. "Penn hasn't even called back...and I'm worried that he disappeared already."

"We don't know that yet. Until then...don't give up, yeah?"

"... Yeah, right. Thanks, Clyde."

"Anytime, Linc."

Luna and Ronnie Anne stayed silent during the entire conversation, both respectively wondering if Lincoln made the right decision bringing them along. It was a crazy plan already to leave Royal Woods in order to save the universe with five strangers plus one of ten sisters, but the initial one of going alone was even crazier. Meanwhile, Lincoln began to call Penn again for the 13th time in the day, his patience waning until...

 _(~****~)_

 ** _"Hello?"_**

 ** _"Penn! There's an alien invasion happening! Why haven't you been answering my calls?"_**

 ** _"Lincoln? This isn't Penn, this is Sashi!"_**

 ** _"Sashi?! What's going on? Where's Penn?"_**

 ** _"That's what I'm trying to find out! It's getting harder knowing that many of these people are turning to dust before my very eyes!"_**

 ** _"The same thing's happening all over the world!"_**

 ** _"All over the world?! Shit. Where are you now?"_**

 ** _"We're heading to Middleburg."_**

 ** _" We?"_**

 ** _"Yep. Ronnie Anne, Clyde, Luna, and three of my friends."_**

 ** _"Wait, Lana decided not to come?"_**

 _. . ._

 ** _"Sashi… Lana's gone. She...turned to dust like the rest."_**

 _. . ._

 ** _"Oh my God. I... I am so sorry, Lincoln."_**

 ** _"Don't apologize. She's the reason why I'm coming to you. We're at a hotel currently getting some rest._** ** _"_**

 _. . ._

 ** _"All right. I suggest you get it. I should probably get some rest, too."_**

 ** _"I agree. See you, Sashi."_**

 ** _"See you, Lincoln."_**

 _(~****~)_

The call ended not soon after and Lincoln yawned. Ronnie Anne got up from the bed to sit beside him.

"What did Penn say?"

"It was Sashi."

 _. . ._

"What did _Sashi_ say?"

"She's looking for Penn; he's gone missing."

 _. . ._

"Any leads?"

"Not yet for her...but one for me. Let's just get some sleep."

Nobody bothered arguing with him. Clyde got up to make room for Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, taking the bed with Luna and Tabby in it; Nikki halfheartedly scooched over to do the same. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne got into the bed together, both exchanging uncertain expressions of the like.

"Lincoln?"

"Hmm?"

"What now? We're just six kids in over our heads trying to save the world. Honestly, I have no idea why this was a great one."

"That's what I said to Clyde. Apparently, he tagged along because we're best friends."

"Aren't we friends?"

"No... We're boyfriend and girlfriend."

Ronnie Anne delivered a light punch to the arm in response, "God, you're cheesy."

"And yet, you're still here."

"Yeah..."

She then shifted so that her back faced him... "Good night, Lame-O."

"Night, Ronnie Anne..."

…and he did the same.

* * *

Lori called up Luna for the 13th time. It had been approximately two hours since Lincoln and Luna went missing; they were the ones besides Clyde, Ronnie Anne, Cristina, Tabby, and Nikki. As she attempted to locate some reasoning behind their disappearances, her mind rewound back to the moment the apocalypse began. It was the wee hours in the afternoon, and four of our sisters had already disappeared into thin air. As the fifth began to fade away, she muttered the one sentence that sent her mind into grinding and gearing.

 ** _"We're in the endgame now..."_**

That particular sentence was aimed specifically at her younger brother, who was currently missing at the moment. _What did that mean?_ Lori thought as she rubbed her chin. _Why would Lisa disclose to specifically Lincoln and nobody else...?_ Her thoughts were inevitably interrupted by the arrival of a mildly distraught Bobby Santiago.

"Lori?"

"No, Bobby. I haven't found Lincoln or Ronnie Anne yet, let alone the others who tagged along. I've been trying to call Luna for the past few minutes and still no answer."

 _. . ._

"Actually, I was going to ask if you want to come with me to find them."

 _. . ._

"Seriously? We have seven people missing already, and the last thing we would both do is add two more."

"Seven more, actually."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, five people approached me with the same intention."

"Hold on... They _all_ want to look for Lincoln and Ronnie Anne?"

"Well, actually... They want to look for their respective friends who tagged along with them, but yes."

 _Ugh, great. That's just splendid._ Lori already had enough on her plate helping her mom and Principal Huggins with the town's surviving population, plus helping her own family deal with the mental trauma of being a mere few of the only. That, and the only conclusion she could reach was truly an illogical one: Lincoln was a key player in saving the world. Honestly, with all the shit that was going down and up in flames simultaneously...what else did she have to lose besides her loved ones?

"Screw it then. Let's go."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Sure. It's a stupid idea, but I'm going along with it. Where are they?"

"They're outside the tents."

Lori and Bobby exited to find the aforementioned five people waiting outside. One of them was a goth girl who seemed on par with Lucy, while the other was a countryside boy judging from his following accent. She recognized them both as one of Lucy's friends and one of Lincoln's, respectively.

"Alright. The hell's your deal, guys?"

"We overheard you guys talking about finding Lincoln," Liam stepped forward, "and we wanna help."

Haiku interjected second, "The disappearance of my dearest Clyde had created a void in my heart."

"Yeah. Right..." Liam took two careful sidesteps from her, "What she said. Besides, we honestly haven't been this far from Royal Woods since that field trip to..."

One of the approaches, a young boy Lori recognized as the kid who tried to steal Zombie Bran from Lincoln, waved his hands in front of Liam to deter him from talking even further. "Yeah, yeah. Everybody loved that field trip. Listen, Lincoln's probably gonna kill himself on this little mission of his."

"And your point?"

"The least we can do is help him out..." Conner crossed his arms and tilted his head in nonchalant uncertainty, "...or possibly watch him die miserably."

Liam didn't take too well to Conner's actually sarcastic reasoning for joining the expedition; he huffed in contempt before punching him in the arm, causing the punched to curse out the puncher. "Yow! Man, you got muscles on you!"

"I'll take that as a compliment," the countryside boy crossed his arms in the same emotion expressed at the distasteful joke aimed at his friend. One of them, a redheaded boy with a green shirt, shook his head and shoved his way to the front.

"This is a horrible idea."

"You don't even know what we were going to say," Lori crossed her arms.

"We're going on a _' **save the world** '_ adventure, and I'm not having any of it."

"Why not?"

Chandler jumped a few inches into the air as an Asian-American girl approached the group with her crossed arms. "Lincoln's in trouble, Chandler. And you don't want to go and help him?"

"Look, I feel bad for Larry and all that, but it was his own decision to go get himself killed."

A now perturbed Lori grabbed a now frightened Chandler and pulled him up by the collar, staring dead into his eyes. "His name is Lincoln." She turned her attention towards Stella now, "And you... Why would you wanna help my little brother?"

"Because he's also my friend. If someone possibly had the key to saving the world, you would help him or her too, right?"

She frowned as she leaned back and contemplated her decision to bring them along. A split second passed before she responded with, "Well, I would probably tell him or her that he or she is mentally unstable first, but through intense convincing, I would probably believe him or her then. Ah, what the hell."

Stella smiled as she followed the group to their mode of transportation. From a distance, Girl Jordan watched as they began to leave. Glancing between the group she was assigned to and the group she wasn't, she ultimately chose the latter over the former.

 _What are you up to...?_

* * *

 _ **A/N** : __While the **Marvel Cinematic Universe** does exist in some format, this story doesn't necessarily focus on it just yet. Instead, it focuses on an alternate version of the **MCU** where several (if not all) characters from the **Disney Animated Canon** and various other **Disney** properties are **Marvel** superheroes and supervillains. Hence, the majority of the items that house the **Infinity Stones** originate from **Disney** movies and TV shows._

 _• The **Space Stone** is located in an owl staff from the **Demon Realm** of " **The Owl House** ". In another dimension, Luz befriends **Star Butterfly** and **Anne Boonchuy** (from " **Amphibia** ") based on crossover fanart on **Deviantart** and **Tumblr**. The stone itself is the Moonstone from the " **Disney Fairies** " franchise._

 _• The **Mind Stone** is located in the **Amulet of Avalor** from " **Sofia The First** ". King Roland and Queen Miranda were first informed by Alacazar, who warned them about the impending war that were to arrive should the rest of the universe be made aware of the stones' existence. Little did they know, they were in the possession of one already: the Mind Stone, to be specific, was in the possession of their daughter **Sofia**._

 _• The **Reality Stone** is located in the **Royal Magic Wand** from " **Star vs. The Forces of Evil** ". The Magical High Commission was informed of these stones and mocked them as a fantasy before discovering their plethora of powers. When a mysterious sorceress clad in black tells Queen Moon the truth about their true capabilities, she orders them to be found and secured._

 _• The **Power Stone** is located in **Selene's Orb** (from " **Gargoyles** "), the **Heart of Zamballa** (from " **W.I.T.C.H.** "), and the **Eye of Midnight** (from " **Elena of Avalor** "). Over time, this stone has passed off several different appearances since 1040. As the latter alias, an ancient moth fairy by the name of **Orizaba** attempted to claim this and plunge Avalor into eternal darkness, but **Elena** managed to prevent her from doing this by destroying it...or so she believed..._

 _• The **Time Stone** is located in the **Talisman of Merlock** (from " **DuckTales** ") before it was lost and transformed into a golden scepter that could summon the **Oracle** (from " **Aladdin** "). **Cassim** , the father of **Aladdin** , discovered the Time Stone within and vowed to study it...becoming the first **Doctor Strange**._

 _• The **Soul Stone** is located in the planet of Vormir...exactly where it's always been._

 _Oh, and one more thing: this story in set in the same universe as my previous story " **Lincoln Loud: Part-Time Hero** ", but you don't have to read that story in order to understand this one._


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning came, and the group was on the road again. Despite the group obtaining much less sleep than in their daily routines, they were pretty energized for some inexplicable reason. It was probably because A) the fate of the universe was grasping its straws and there was no time for weariness to drag them down, and B) they were given a continental breakfast to acquire said energy. Even so, accompanying that bravery and courageous was a sense of fear and anxiety. While the general excitement of saving the world was palpable, they were also afraid of the trials and tribulations of doing so, especially when or if they failed in their mission.

In the end, it was Lincoln and Ronnie Anne who (despite their own inner demons) reassured everyone that the possibility of that happening was a million-to-one. Of course, they didn't know the exact number, but they felt it was a close enough guess. They were right in the middle of doing the math when Luan called out her brother's name. "Linc? I think we're here..."

The group peeked out the car windows and were stunned silent with horror at the sight before them. The level of destruction wasn't on par with Royal Woods...but ten times worse. In addition to the pile of ashes the world over was sprinkled with, another pile of former people was building up, and their puddles of blood went along with them. From what they saw through their very eyes, they deduced that the worldwide phenomenon caused a mass hysteria among the citizens that in turn prompted the authorities to intervene. As a result, a bloodbath of a riot commenced and ultimately claimed the lives of almost everyone involved.

Lincoln and Luna led the sickened group through the bloodsoaked streets of Ferguson, attempting not to lose their lunch over the carnage they witnessed just now. They eventually spread out to different corners and examined the destruction a little more closely. All of them mourned the lives taken in the self-inflicted massacre, and feared that their beloved town would suffer the same fate. Noticing a fallen police officer clutching his empty SIG-Sauer P226R, Luna reached down and picked it up to inspect. She then scanned the corpse for any spare magazines, which she found on his belt alongside a 3rd Generation Glock 17 (mostly from one of the citizens he dispatched before being dispatched himself). Picking up the ammunition along with the second handgun, she then rummaged for the rounds for that gun before noticing a shopping mall nearby.

"Guys! Come on!" Luna called out for the group to follow her inside, bolstering her newly acquired pistols as she did so. The gang followed her as she charged into the main plaza and scoured around for clothing departments. "Okay... Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, you two stay with me. Clyde, you go with Cristina. And Tabby, you go with Nikki. Find some spare clothes, change into them, and meet back here; I'll put them in a duffel bag."

And so, they all spread out again with their respective partner ( _partners_ in the cases of Luna, Lincoln, and Ronnie Anne) as they searched for new attire. They attempted to be quiet and stay quiet, but it was rather difficult with all the hanger screeching and curtain calling. Soon enough, though, they eventually met back at their rendezvous point where Luna was waiting with a black duffel bag. After placed them inside, they hustled back to the car and sped off before anyone else could catch up.

* * *

Meanwhile, another group was on their way to the city of Missouri. Lori was currently thanking Lisa that she implanted a tracking device on (and _not **in**_ ) each and every single one of her family members. The next morning after yesterday's was the one they began their road trip on, and it wasn't an easy beginning either. It took her a while to convince her mom to borrow Vanzilla for the time being, the honest reason of trying to find a missing Lincoln now fabricated to resemble a call for help from other sections of the city. Rita was hesitant (though you can't blame her), but she granted Lori permission and requested her to be cautious.

Caution was the least of her worries now, as well as theirs.

Lori turned to Girl Jordan, who was squirming in the trunk. "So why did you come?"

"Oh! Well... Hmm. I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Uh... I guess it looked interesting."

"Really?" Liam shot her a confused look, "That's your excuse?"

"At the moment, yeah. I actually do not know why I decided to tag along."

"Well, you're already here," Chandler remarked rather crudely, "so it's too late to tag out."

"Okay. Why did _you_ decide to tag along, penis breath?"

"Come on, you two..."

Stella rubbed her forehead as she attempted to act as a peacekeeper between the two rivals, "We just left Royal Woods a few hours ago. We don't want to have any more accidents."

"Any more?" Liam was confused again, but his eyes widened at the realization and let out an embarrassing chuckle. "Ooh, sorry about that, guys. My bad."

"Ugh! Come on!"

Girl Jordan and Chandler were soon thrown into a one-sided argument with Liam while Stella buried her face into her hands. Haiku, silent as ever, merely shot her a look of sympathy and patted her on the shoulder. Bobby watched them go at it for a few minutes before turning toward a mildly miffed Lori.

"Are you sure this was a good idea?"

"No... I'm sure this was a _horrible_ one."

* * *

A few more minutes later, the first group arrived at Middleburg when Lincoln ordered Luma to stop the car. Not _ask_ , but _**order**_. As he exited the car, Ronnie Anne and Clyde followed not so after. Glancing up at the two vacant spaces between two other buildings, he couldn't help but remember that something wasn't here that was supposed to be.

"Where is it...?"

"Where is what?"

"The Odyssey...and the Fish On a Stick. It's supposed to be here, _exactly_ here."

"Did something happen?"

"Not exactly."

The trio turned to find...absolutely nothing. For a moment's notice, anyway. The source of the voice grew into existence as a teenager just a few years older than them. It wore a black-and-gold metallic masked suit with a hint of red, a phallic outline, and a pair of wings; the individual vaguely resembled a wasp more than anything. Of course, it mattered not to Luna, who quietly exited the car while gripping her P229R, ready to defend her younger brother and the others from this perceived threat. Lincoln himself, however, signaled her not to attack or try to. He slowly approached the figure and called out (hopefully) its true identity.

"Sashi?"

"Oh, good. I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't remember me, let alone recognize me."

The helmet came off and the figure revealed itself to be a female teenager with short and straight dark brown hair with pink tips and a pair of equally colored eyes (minus the pink). Lincoln immediately went in for a hug, which Sashi returned in response before Ronnie Anne and eventually (not wanting to be left out) Clyde jumped in. She was bewildered by the bombardment of hugs sent her away, but she shrugged it off and embraced the three.

"Man, Sashi..." Ronnie Anne breathed out, "You look good."

"I know I look good, Ronnie Anne," Sashi chuckled out a comment, "In fact, I've been told. Numerous times. So, uh... Why are you guys here?"

"We came here to look for Penn," Clyde explained, "because we figured he may have an idea on what's going on here."

"Well, I honestly doubt it." Sashi's expression suddenly turned solemn. "He's gone missing for a few days now, and he's not answering my calls."

"Do you have an idea where he might be?"

"I think so, but I'm not completely sure. We have to get to Penn's house. Who is else with you?"

"Besides Ronnie Anne and Clyde? Well, there's my third sister Luna and my friends Cristina, Tabby, and Nikki."

"Come again? One of your sisters is here?"

"Yeah, about that. Before you get the wrong idea, we already made up; it took a while, though."

Sashi glanced back and forth between a pleading Lincoln and a suspicious Luna in the car. Considering that she was one of the main instigators for Lincoln running away and ending up in Middleburg, the feeling she shared with her was mutual. However, she was still part of Lincoln's family, so a proper punishment was out of the question.

"Okay, Linc. I'll take your word for it. You could've at least taken Lana with you."

Lincoln's own expression suddenly soured at the mention of his deceased sister. "We couldn't, Sashi…because she's gone."

Judging by the looks of it, she immediately regretted bringing her up and hastily apologized. "Oh, shit. I...I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Lincoln shook his head, "She's my motivation for being here. Let's get to Penn's house."

Sashi followed Lincoln and the others to the car, concerned for him as much as his own sister was. As she took her place in the passenger seat, she and Luna exchanged frowns of uncertainty. A few seconds later, they turned away from each other and to the street.

"Where are we going?"

"3082 Victoria Avenue, Silicon Valley. And no...not _that_ Silicon Valley."

* * *

Meanwhile, the second group made a pit stop at an abandoned gas station and watched as panic unfolded on the streets of Chicago. They were shocked not only at the acts of violence that occurred before them, but also the mere fact that most riots would end in a few hours or less. Sadly, this wasn't the case entirely, for many a citizen were running in panic and attacking people for a necessity they wanted. Lori in particular was horrified because, compared to Royal Woods, the destruction there was relatively tame as it was a small city. Because it was Illinois and not Michigan, the chaos unfolding here was tenfold and thus more violent than the other.

Bobby got out of the car and began to fill up the gas tank, watching the disorder take place. _"Dios Mío..."_

Lori, meanwhile, spotted a shopping mall nearby and went off over to shoplift a set of clothes for their respective guests. While she managed to do so, this didn't stop the van from being attacked from a bunch of gangbangers armed with pistols and knives. The kids, in spite of their fears, attempted desperately to defend the vehicle from the unexpected ambush. Noticing this, she hurled one of the bags at them before throwing rapid-fire punches. Her boyfriend joined his girlfriend to deliver kicks before one of the thugs brandished a two-tone Glock 17. As he pulled the trigger, the bullet never made its impact with either of the two...who proceeded to gawk at the violet forcefield that materialized around them and the van.

The gang turned to find a superhero couple standing their ground; both were teenagers a mere few years younger than Lori and Bobby. The slim, brunette-haired boy donned a navy blue-and-black armored bodysuit with a silver eagle on the chest and two stars of the same color on both gauntlets. The slender, raven-haired girl donned a red unitard along with an orange belt, black gloves, thigh-high boots, a neon orange hairband, and a black eye mask. Both exchanging glances and nods, the couple charged forward and prepare for combat. The criminal with the stainless steel Glock opened fire once again, but the girl generated her forcefield once again long enough for the boy to sprint ahead of her and punch out one while the girl kicked up two more. He twisted the arm of the lead criminal and disarmed him of his Glock, which he kicked away before elbowing him into unconsciousness. Glancing over to find one more thug retreating, he gestured at the girl to form another forcefield and prevent his escape before he kicked up a crowbar and flung it at him, knocking him out.

Upon confirming that the group was out of harm's way, the couple made their way over to them. The boy was the first to speak. "Are you all alright?"

Pulling open the van door and hopped on out, Girl Jordan was the first to voice her opinion. "That was awesome! How did you do that?"

The girl came second (or third?), "Oh, it was nothing. The criminals we fought, not our fighting technique."

Stella was skeptical of this apparent superhero couple basically appearing out of thin air to rescue them, so she decided to step forward and question them. "Well, forgive me for asking, but...who are you and why are you here?"

"Oh, no. Forgive us for our sudden appearance," The boy apologized, acknowledging the fact that a proper introduction was in order. "I'm Patriot and this is Invisible Girl, my partner. We're here because we're currently investigating the sudden disappearances of more than a thousand people in our city and neighboring ones."

"My parents were among those people," Invisible Girl murmured solemnly under her breath. Patriot rubbed her shoulder in comfort before turning to Lori and Bobby.

"I assume that you two are in charge of this group?"

"We are," Bobby responded first, "but we're just looking for my girlfriend's younger brother."

"He's around eleven years old, wearing an orange polo with blue jeans, and sporting abnormal white hair."

 _"White hair..."_ Patriot and Invisible Girl exchange the same look of certainty, remaining in such before turning back to the them. "Are you, by any chance, referring to a young boy by the name of Lincoln Loud?"

Lori and Bobby did the same (exchange looks before turning back to them). "You know my brother?"

"Yeah, actually." Invisible Girl remarked, "Long story short, he can throw a mean right hook."

"I don't know about that," Patriot refuted, "but he's a talented and efficient fighter when the occasion calls for it."

Ignoring the fact that her little brother could apparently fight a lot better than Lynn ever could, Lori decided to skip ahead to the main point. "So...you know where he is, then?"

"We might have an idea," Patriot deduced. "The signal a tracking device planted on Lincoln was last seen on the town of Middleburg, Missouri."

"Missouri? That's where Lincoln was last seen!" Bobby proclaimed.

"Then there's a chance that he might be still there," Invisible Girl concurred before activating an remote control. At that moment, a modified black sports car sped down the road at supersonic speed, the reason being that it was installed with a humongous rocket booster in the trunk. While they entered the vehicle, Invisible Girl commented about said rocket booster: "Don't worry, you'll be able to catch up with us."

While Lori and Bobby looked on in bewilderment, Girl Jordan looked on in amazement. "I'm think I'm in love."

The human couple exchanged looks once more. _Yeah, this was a **very** bad idea..._

* * *

 _ **A/N** : So, here's what happened so far. Lincoln's group meets The Wasp (Sashi) while Lori's group meets Patriot and Invisible Girl. Sashi is unsure of the presence of Luna–who swears that she has changed–while she is sympathetic towards Lincoln for the loss of Lana. She joins them in the quest to locate Ant-Man (Penn). In addition, the parents of Invisible Girl are among the victims of Thanos' fingersnap and she is joined by her partner-in-justice (and possible boyfriend?) Patriot. _

_The next chapter will see the two groups eventually meeting up at Penn's household. A "_ ** _Young Avengers_** _" vibe will be emitted here, but I doubt some of the members from that team will be featured. Still, no promises will be made. (_ **HINT** _: Does the username_ **Oswaldojimenez11** _sound familiar to you?)_

 _On the subject of the next chapter, although it doesn't necessarily primarily center on them, the Royal Woods group plays a central role here. Rita struggles to come terms with the fantasy-like reality she and the rest of her family have found themselves in; Lucy and Lola find themselves infused with superhuman abilities; and Belle Yates decides to get to the bottom of this phenomenon...with the help of an old friend._

 _Until then..._


	5. Chapter 5

Rita woke up to a cry of fear, but it wasn't Lily's. No, Lily was sleeping snugly in a makeshift baby crib a few inches away from her own bed. In the wake of the worldwide phenomenon, Principal Huggins and his remaining staff rounded up the citizens in the park and set up a camp there military style. A handful of police officers searched for survivors around town and eventually located a fair few senior citizens hanging out at the Sunset Canyon Retirement Home. Albert, Myrtle, Scoots, and Seymour were among the survivors while Sue, Bernie, Mrs. Jelinsky, and a recovering Tetherby were among the casualties. Upon arriving at the park turned camp, Rita filled her father and his girlfriend on the situation's details and became their caretakers in the absence of the head nurse; of course, given our rather strict demeanor, it was easier done than said.

Instead of Lily who was the usual recipient of a nightmare or two a while back, Rita discovered that it was Lola who was awaken in the middle of the night as a result of lethal night terrors. _"Lola? Wake up, honey..."_

She finally did and faced her mother with watery eyes. _"Mom...? Are we...? Is this...?"_

Rita slowly nodded in sadness. _"Yes, sweetie. I'm afraid so."_

Lola wiped away those tears and hugged her mother, who sincerely returned it with one of her own. Meanwhile, Lucy (whose back was entirely facing them) listened to their conversation.

 _"What happened, sweetie?"_

 _"Half of our family is gone, Mom. Leni, Luan, Lynn, Lisa, Dad...and Lana. Lincoln and Luna's gone missing and Lori's gone looking for them...and we're stuck here. What's happening here, Mom?"_

 _. . ._

 _"I don't know, sweetie. But I do know this: Lincoln, Lori, and Luna are all going to be all right. The best we can do is pray."_

 _"I hope they're alright."_

Rita took Lola in her arms and held her close as they both fell asleep once more. When she confirmed it, Lucy slipped out of her sleeping bag and the tent they were staying in, heading outside for a little stargazing. This particular activity helped the Goth in her times of pressure and trauma, as it provided her a sense of relaxation and well-being. The same could said for a young boy by the name of Rocky Spokes. He had been a little on edge following the disintegration of his father and older brother, the devastation being too much for him and his mother to bear. A little stargazing, as he found out a few months ago following the death of his grandmother, did him some good, so why shouldn't it right now?

Lucy found her spot a mere minute before Rocky did, prompting her to jump up when she heard him. "May I sit with you?"

Rocky himself was worried that he said something wrong but was assuaged by Lucy after a moment of silence. "Sure. Why not?"

As the both of them sat down on the grass and proceeded to stargaze, they realized they had nothing to talk about. It was perfectly fine...had they properly realized it in time.

"Who did you lose?"

"Half of my family: Leni, Luan, Lynn, Lana, Lisa, and my dad. What about you?"

"Just my dad and Rusty. My mom's still pretty shaken up about it. How are you holding up?"

"I swore I was going to crack, but I'm not, so...so far so good, I guess?"

"I'm sorry, Lucy."

"Don't be, Rocky. I made this far without somebody dying until now, so..."

Another silence took over and Lucy sighed in solemn regret at her little outburst. "I'm sorry, Rocky. I didn't mean it like that."

She was just lucky Rocky was patient and understanding with her. "Don't be, Lucy. Everybody cracks under pressure, some more than others. Wait... You said half of your family, right?"

"I did."

"Where's the rest of your family? Lincoln, Lori, Luna, Lola, Lily, and your mom?"

"Lincoln and Luna are both missing and Lori's out to look for them; my mom, Lola, and Lily are currently sleeping in a tent like the rest of the town. They both believe that..."

"Believe that what?"

 _. . ._

"They might be able to save the world and get to the bottom of this."

"Well, if that was the case, why didn't you go with them?"

"You think I didn't want to? Rocky, I couldn't even if I tried. Half of my family disintegrated, three of my eldest siblings have gone on the run, and my little sister had been rendered traumatized as a result of this worldwide phenomenon. I had half of a family to look after because...the other half may be coming back."

It was now Rocky's turn to feel regret. Seeing Lucy on the verge of tears and eventually bursting into them made him mentally chastise himself for his choice of words. As a result, he found it within himself to scooch in over and hug his crush, who returned the hug within a split second.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. That came out wrong."

"Don't be, Rocky. It's like you said: everybody cracks under pressure, some more than others."

With that, Lucy planted a kiss on Rocky's cheeks and rested her head on his shoulders. He himself was just happy to be here with her...and for the fact that nighttime was essentially patting him on the shoulder. From afar, Albert and Myrtle watched as the two children engaged in their stargazing session.

"Aw. Isn't that sweet, Al?"

"It sure is, Myrtle. I still wish I could say the same for..."

"For us? Albert, we're alive, aren't we? And so is your family."

" _Half_ of them. Half of my family is still alive, while the other half...is God knows where. My son-in-law was one of the unlucky ones and I never got to forgive him for what happened two years earlier. I probably never will..."

Myrtle draped her arms around her boyfriend's shoulders from behind, a tidal wave of sympathy earned from him. Albert held on to his beloved's hands in response and listened to what she had to say: "Albert, you don't know if they'll remain gone forever. The best chance we've got is if we have faith. Besides, you can make up for it by forgiving your daughter first."

The retired soldier found some slight comfort in his loved one's words, helping himself with a smile. "I sure hope so, Myrtle..."

* * *

As daylight dawned upon Royal Woods, the citizens woke up freshly rejuvenated and ready to get down to business. Principal Huggins collaborated with his remaining staff to attend to the food rations, Rita and Harold attended to the elderly, and the Yates Family attempted contact from outside the city. Katherine Mulligan (an infamously difficult-to-work-with reporter who had the townspeople wondering how she even survived to begin with) seemed to take the hint that the situation before her was nothing short of dire and treated the entire ordeal as a _very_ serious matter. Part of the reason was because she believed her daughter to be one of the many victims of the worldwide disintegration, but ultimately was not; this paranoia caused her to be grateful for them both being spared and vowed to deliver the sincere if ugly truth to the media.

Belle pressed the button on the radio and called into it one more time: _"This is Belle Yates of Royal Woods, Michigan. I'm calling east to west of this sanction for any survivors..."_ Alas, she received nothing but static again and she threw down her radio as a result. Standing up and walking off to take a break, the young African-American girl knew she had to keep trying, but she had been since seven in the morning. It was fast approaching noon, and five hours was just too much. Plopping down on the grassy surface and staring into the flowing river a few inches away, she gazed at her own reflection. She hadn't gone enough sleep the night before due to one of Mrs. Loud's daughters crying about a nightmare or something. As much as she wanted to be mad at her, she ultimately couldn't be considering what she (and everybody else for that matter) had been going through now.

"I'm sorry."

"GAH!"

She jumped a few inches to the right and found another of Rita's daughters seated beside her. Relaxing and catching her breath, she sighed and helped herself to a smile. "Oh. Hello, Lucy. Sorry about what?"

"Your family," Lucy clarified, "Your mother, your older sister, and younger brother."

Belle's smile immediately fell and transformed into that of a sour frown. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry if bringing them up made you uncomfortable."

"No, it's fine." Belle shook her head as she turned her attention back to the river. "I'm just dandy."

"Your tone suggests otherwise."

"I can't help myself sometimes."

"Well, sometimes you can."

"What if I can't?"

"You find a loophole."

Lucy stood up and sighed. "I haven't told anyone except Lincoln, and this is me changing the subject if you're wondering."

Belle shot her a confused look, "You haven't told anyone except Lincoln what?"

Gazing at her hands which she balled into fists not soon after, Lucy sighed again...this time in resignation. Raising her hands, she then used them to form a pair of bright yellow portals in the thin air before jumping into one and arriving out the other...with a European Broadsword, a Viking Carolingian, and an Arabian Scimitar in her possession...plus a Danish Axe from the past, a compound bow-and-arrow pack from the present, and a laser rifle from the future. Placing the assortment of weapons on the ground, she then dismissed the portals and crossed her arms in disinterest at Belle's shocked expression.

 _"That."_ Lucy stated rather drily. "I haven't told anyone except Lincoln _that_. I don't know _how_ I got them or _why_ I got them, I just know that I got them."

"Your entire family with the exception of your one brother doesn't know you have supernatural powers?"

"How could I tell them in a time where they believed in bad luck and superstitions? I obviously can't tell them now because of this...whatever _this_ is."

The youngest Yates sister received a fair amount of sympathy from the fourth youngest Loud sister. She smiled just a tad and rested her hand on her shoulder. "I won't tell anyone and everyone, if that's what you're worried about. But...you do realize that someone will find out eventually, right?"

"Eventually...but not today." Lucy nodded in agreement as she picked her swords and walked away. "Good talk."

"Yeah. Same to you."

As Belle watched Lucy walk away, a young blonde girl turned away before either of them could notice her. Shock, terror, and excitement all rolled up in a flurry of emotions. _So...Lucy has the same powers as mine? No, she can create portals while you can perform...telekinesis, as Lisa would say. But how would you know those are the only powers she has or you have right now?_

Lola's hands – like Lucy's before – balled into fists of determination. _I have to investigate further..._

* * *

Meanwhile, Carlota was helping Rita contend with Albert and Myrtle. "Are you okay, Mrs. Loud?"

The latter was wondering what was going through the former's head when she decided to ask a rather idiotic question like that, but she decided to not hold her against it and respond in kind. Carlota herself seemed to agree, seeing as she's hastily apologized to Rita. "I'm sorry, that was a stupid question."

Rita disagreed. "No, it wasn't. I'm just... _really_ stressed out."

"Yeah, I can relate too. Listen, I don't mean to be rude for changing the subject or anything, that was just trying to start a conversation. But...have you seen Bobby and/or Ronnie Anne anywhere?"

"To respond to your first comment, it's okay...again. Secondly, I haven't. Lori and Bobby went off to find Lincoln and Luna, who disappeared just a few days ago."

"Lincoln is missing?"

"Yes, why?"

"Oh, no reason. I hope they're okay, though."

"Me too, Carlota..."

* * *

Wilbur Huggins was _not_ a simple-minded man.

Being the Principal of Royal Woods, it was his job to look after his students, even if he elicited a sense of authoritarian-like discipline. Despite his uncompromising attitude towards their education, however, he was actually a kindhearted and reasonable authority figure given the right circumstances when he's in a pleasant mood. The most prominent examples of this stemmed from a particular student of his. He harbored no ill will towards Lincoln Loud whenever something he was involved in went awry; in fact, he pitied him and wished that he could do better, given his (so-far) wasted potential in the world of comic books and manga. He had secretly hoped that he could succeed where he could not: create a comic strip that attract the attention (and earn the respect) of his idol Bill Buck. Even so, he was _slightly_ wary of the young boy because in spite of being a nice kid, this nice kid in question was the same nice kid that his adopted niece held a former crush on. Taking a fatherly stance toward Jordan should've been the smart move, but considering how to one's liking Lincoln was to her, he had the tendency to tone down his overprotectiveness for her sake.

However, that protectiveness was beginning to resurface full force in the wake of her disappearance. In the few days of the worldwide disintegration, Jordan just up and disappeared without a trace. There was no sign of her ashes present, so the only possible explanation was her running off. But why would she?

A sigh exiting him, Wilbur exited his tent to find the second Yates daughter futilely attempting to make contact. "Belle, you've done enough already. Take a break."

"Thought you'd never ask." Belle slipped off the headset and placed atop her table. "Principal Huggins...I'm having trouble deciding."

"Deciding on what?"

 _. . ._

"Whether or not I should give up. Yield. Throw in the towel so to speak. It's been two hours now, and nobody's been responding to my or the others' calls. Half of the world is disintegrated, the town is in utter chaos like everybody else's in the US, and the government isn't coming. Inconsequential... Is that what we are?"

. . .

"No, of course not, and you shouldn't think that or _like_ that. Besides, you shouldn't give up. The other half is still standing, right? Well, it's our job to pick up the pieces and...survive. It's not over just yet. What's done is done...when we say it's done."

Belle gave the speech some thought before nodding in agreement, "I sure hope so, sir."

* * *

As Lola walked around the park fiddling with her fingers, she contemplated telling the truth to Lucy or her family in general. _Should I...or should I not? No, Lola, we already had this conversation. We can't tell anybody, not even your own family, about your...powers. Not until we do some more investigating on whether or not I'm the only one with them._ Clamping her hands before slowly pulling them apart, an energy current colored in dark red began to form. With one flick of her hands, she projected a pair of bolts and struck a tree nearby; the blast caused it to fall down into the lake. She then flicked her hands again, causing the energy to disappear. Disturbed at the amount of magic she exerted and the destruction of a close object, she released a deep breath and tucked both hands into her pockets as she walked off.

Lucy, who had been a few feet away from Lola as she struck down the tree, watched as she did so. Shock, terror, and excitement all rolled up in a flurry of emotions...all over again. _My sister has powers...?_

The other person who witnessed this event was also surprised: _My great granddaughter has powers...? Oh my..._

* * *

 _ **A/N** : A question **HEROS Central** was **"Who's Patriot and Invisible Girl?"** Well, to answer yours in two ways, **Patriot** and **Invisible Girl** are two actual Marvel superheroes. The latter was the former moniker of the **Invisible Woman** (aka **Sue Richards** ); the former was a former reporter turned member of the **Liberty Legion** and then the third **Captain America** in the comics. Here, they're the superhero aliases for **Tony Rydinger** and **Violet Parr**...both of whom are characters from the **Incredibles** franchise. (This means that **Mr. Incredible** [ **Bob Parr** ] and **Elastigirl** [ **Helen Parr** ] are both victims of Thanos' __fingersnap...)_

 _Now, what we've learned so far..._

 _1) It's been two days since the **Battle of Wakanda** and the **Avengers** ' loss.  
2) **Albert** , **Myrtle** , **Scoots** , **Seymour** , **Wilbur** , **Katherine** , and **Clare** (who here is the daughter of **Katherine** ) survived while **Sue** , **Bernie** , **Mrs. Jelinsky** , and **Tetherby** disintegrated.  
_ _3) **Girl Jordan** is the niece of **Wilbur Huggins** , who learns that she has gone missing but not up in ashes.  
_ _4) **Carlota** notices that **Bobby** and **Ronnie Anne** are missing as well, talking with **Rita** about this.  
5) **Lucy** and **Lola** both have superpowers alluding to magic and sorcery: The former has teleportation and astral projection, the latter has chaos magic and reality warping.  
_

 _I've given it some thought that most (if not all) of the **Loud House** cast will become superheroes at one point or another down the line. If they do, here's most of the team roster (that's not entirely finalized thus far):_

 _1) **Lincoln Loud / Captain America**  
2) **Lori Loud / Black Widow**  
3) **Luna Loud / Star-Lord**  
4) **Lucy Loud / Magik**  
5) **Lola Loud / Scarlet Witch**  
6) **Ronnie Anne Santiago / Black Widow II**  
7) **Girl Jordan / Spider-Girl / Ghost-Spider**  
8) **Clyde McBride / Falcon II**  
9) **Belle Yates / Ironheart**  
10) **Bobby Santiago / Ghost Rider**_

 _On that note, let us meet the other heroes introduced, mentioned, or about to be in the story (beware of potential spoilers):_

 _1) **Tony Rydinger / Patriot (voiced by Michael Bird)** : An apprentice of **Captain America** and the partner/boyfriend of **Violet Parr**.  
2) **Violet Parr / Invisible Girl (voiced by Sarah Vowell)** : A member of **The Incredibles** and the partner/boyfriend of **Tony Rydinger**.  
3) **Penn Zero / Ant-Man II (voiced by Thomas Middleditch)** : The second reincarnation of **Ant-Man** after his father **Brock Zero**.  
4) **Sashi Kobayashi / The Wasp II (voiced by Tania Gunadi)** : The second reincarnation of **The Wasp** after Penn's mother **Vonnie Zero**.  
5) **Penny Proud / Ghost (voiced by Kyla Pratt)** : The daughter of **Oscar Proud** (the first **Falcon** of this universe).  
6) **Marco Diaz / Daredevil (voiced by Adam McArthur)** : The son of **Rafael** and **Angie Diaz** who fights for justice in Echo Creek.  
_ _7) **Star Butterfly / Miss Marvel (voiced by Eden Sher)** : The **Princess** and **Acting Queen** of **Mewni** following her mother's disappearance.  
8) **Della Duck / Captain Marvel / Binary / Warbird (voiced by Paget Brewster)** : An pilot from Duckberg who becomes stranded on the Moon._

 _S_ _o, what do you think? Let me know in the review section and stay tuned for Chapter 6..._

 _ **Chapter 6** : "Lincoln's group and Lori's group finally meet up at Penn's house, where most of the Middleburg survivors have taken refuge. Penn himself has gone missing with his parents..._


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N**_ _: So,_ _ **HEROS CENTRAL**_ _(again), you asked a very important question. "Who else has that we know in the world you made has been disintegrated by Thanos' snap?" Well, to answer your question before we go into the main story, I have comprised a list of both survivors and victims of_ _ **Avengers: Infinity War**_ _down below. The selections are loosely inspired by_ _ **SonicN**_ _'s speculation on who survived and did in his review of_ _ **MasterCaster**_ _'s "_ _ **The Snap**_ _":_

 _1)_ _ **Survivors (In Order of Appearance)**_ _: Lincoln, Lori, Luna, Lucy, Lola, Lily, Rita, Clyde, Harold, Ronnie Anne, Bobby, Carlota, CJ, Carlino, Carlitos, Carlos, Hector, Bumper Yates Sr., Belle Yates, Beau Yates, Carol Pingrey, Conner Pingrey (_ _ **"Bratty Kid"**_ _), Cassandra Pingrey (_ _ **"Bratty Kid's Sister"**_ _), Cristina, Tabby, Nikki, Wilbur Huggins, Liam, Haiku, Chandler, Stella, Girl Jordan, Albert (_ _ **"Pop-Pop"**_ _), Myrtle, Scoots, Seymour, Rocky Spokes, Katherine Mulligan, Clare_  
 _1.1)_ _ **Survivors Offscreen**_ _(_ _ **In Alphabetical Order**_ _): Artie, Bill Buck, Bluebell Brunette, Bud Grouse, Caleb and Camille McCauley, Charlotte Yang, Coach Pacowski, Chunk, Dana, Darcy Helmandollar, Gabby, Hugh, Jackie, Joy, Kirby, Lindsay Sweetwater, Maggie, Margo, Megan, Mick Swagger, Miguel, Miss Carmichael, Miss DiMartino, Mollie, Morgan Paige, Nurse Patti, Petey Wimple, Roxanne, Sam, Tina, Trashy  
1.2) __**Survivors in Total**_ _: 70_

 _2)_ _ **Victims (In Order of Appearance)**_ _: Leni, Luan, Lynn, Lana, Lisa, Lynn Sr., Howard, Maria, Frida, Rosa, Jancey Yates, Beatrix Yates, Bumper Yates Jr., Cristina's Parents, Tabby's Parents, Bratty Kid's Mom, Casey, Sameer, Nikki's Parents, Sue, Bernie, Mrs. Jelinsky, Tetherby, Rusty Spokes, Mr. Spokes  
2.1) __**Victims Offscreen (In Alphabetical Order)**_ _: Amy, Andrew, Aunt Ruth, Brandon, Becky, Benny, Boy Jordan, Byron, Chaz, Chinah, Cici, Corrine, Darin, David, Diane, Donnie, Fiona, Flat Tire, Flip, Francisco, Giggles, Hank, Hattie, Hawk, Jerry Kling, Jeffery, Joey, Kat, Kotaro, Lance, Lee, Librarian Wetta, Mandee, Maya, Mrs. Johnson, Miss Shrinivas, Norm, Papa Wheelie, Patchy Drizzle, Paula, Penelope, Polly Pain, Renee, Richie, Rusty Spokes, Sadie, Schmitty, Sebastian, Sergei, Shirley, Skippy, Stan Stankco, Steak Stankco, Steve, Tad, Teri, Trent, Whitney, Zach  
2.2) __**Victims In Total**_ _: 85_

 _Now, with that said, I now present the (unapologetically rushed) sixth chapter of " **After Infinity: The Loud House** "._

 _Enjoy! If you can..._

* * *

Lincoln's group arrived at Penn's house first, the white-haired boy rushing out of the car. By bursting through the front door, he caught the attention of many a survivor hiding out in the house. It didn't matter to him, for he needed to find his big brother figure and fast. "Penn! Penn, are you here? Penn!"

"He's not here, Lincoln!" Sashi entered the house, "I checked everywhere!"

"Lincoln? Lincoln!"

Before he could head upstairs, Lincoln screeched to a stop and turned to face a middle-aged couple. The man had graying black hair, a balding forehead with some hair still in the center, pale blue eyes, a long-sleeve dark green polo shirt with a white collar and a white stripe between two yellow stripes in the middle, light grey denim jeans, long orange socks, brown shoes, and a black watch; the woman had tan skin, shoulder-length auburn hair, bright green eyes, a long-sleeve pink shirt with white lace on the sleeves, mint green eyes, bright purple flat heels with three matching hoop bracelets on each arm, silver hoop earrings, and dark pink lipstick.

"Aunt Rose! Uncle Chuck!" Lincoln rushed toward and hugged them, who sincerely returned it. "Did...did you guys find Penn?"

"Aw, no, sweetie," Aunt Rose ran her fingers through his hair, "We haven't yet, but we're doing the best we can to find him."

"Yeah, but finding our nephew is essentially finding a needle in this apocalypse of a haystack," Uncle Chuck disgruntledly grumbled under his breath. "Even since people around the world started dropping like flies, the first thing we did was call Penn. The last time we saw him, he was..."

"With his parents..." Sashi began as the horrific realization befell upon her, "Oh, God."

"What? What is it?"

"Penn mentioned going on a trip in California to work on the Quantum Realm, an alternate dimension where space and time are irrelevant. Mr. and Mrs. Zero were talking about potential game-changers that could prove useful to the world, so they must've taken Penn with them as a test subject. Or maybe..."

"You don't think he was helping Ghost, right?"

Sashi turned toward Lincoln now with a shocked expression, while the others' read that of confusion.

"You know Ghost...?"

"I...may or may not watched a live TV report of you guys fighting her. I wasn't allowed to play any video games or watch any of my movies because of an incident _Luna_ caused..."

Luna blanched at the memory and groaned in embarrassment, "That was two months ago..."

"Things don't change."

"Apparently not," Ronnie Anne slyly chuckled under her breath.

"Anyway... I saw you two fight her before she got away."

"We let her."

"You did?"

"... Yeah. She wasn't a bad person per se, just...desperate."

Sashi stopped elaborating after that, giving Lincoln the signal not to press on further. Cristina stepped forward and spoke next, "Okay then. So what do we do?"

" _You_ are not doing anything yet. _I_ , on the other hand, have to go to California and investigate, hoping I can find Penn there."

"I'm going with you," Lincoln followed Sashi to the basement. As they headed down, the doorbell rang and Luna slowly reached for her P226R. Carefully opening the door, her jaw went agape upon seeing the visitor...s.

"Lori?"

"Luna. Where's Lincoln?"

"He's downstairs," Ronnie Anne stepped forward and noticed her older brother standing behind the eldest Loud sibling, "Bobby, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here because of you, Ronnie Anne," Bobby stepped out from behind Lori to hug his younger sister. "Is everything all right?"

"Well, I wouldn't consider everything to be _not_ all right at the moment," Clyde spoke up. "We may or may not have a plan to save the world, but we don't exactly know how it's going to play out."

"A plan?" Girl Jordan stepped inside, followed by Patriot and Invisible Girl. "Hmm. Nice place. Anyway, what is it and is this everybody here?"

"No. Lincoln's here too, but he's downstairs getting ready."

"For...?"

"He's going to save the world...whether we like it or not," Clyde cocked his head and gritted his teeth.

"And we're supposed to believe that he's capable of handling himself?" Lori tilted her own head in confusion.

"Actually, he can," Bobby scratched the back of his head, "Remember that one summer where he ran away because you guys accused him of being bad luck?"

"Ugh, you had to bring _that_ up," Ronnie Anne groaned at the distasteful memory, "But yeah, he ran into Penn Zero, who is this former part-time hero, which I think is a hero in training. Anyway, he took Lincoln under his wing and unofficially adopted him as his younger brother figure of sorts. He can travel through multiple dimensions without disrupting the spacetime continuum...somehow...and their brotherly bond. Penn is basically the older brother Lincoln never had."

"So wait..." Luna glanced between the two groups in confusion, "He taught him how to fight?"

"No. _I_ did."

Everybody turned toward the basement entrance to Sashi donning a black-and-gold (with a shade of red) armored bodysuit with artificial wings; the design was clearly reminiscent of an insect...specifically a hornet. Lincoln, on the other hand, settled on a simple navy blue utilitarian-style suit with a silver eagle on the center and a Kevlar-based ballistic component that could protect the wearer but at the same time function like a standard military black-ops uniform.

"Wow, you look hot," Girl Jordan stated out of the blue, much to the befuddlement of everyone else...not because it was so sudden, but rather because she was looking directly at the two of them when she said it.

"Thank you." Regardless, Sashi paid her comment no mind as she continued, "I taught Lincoln how to fight even though he received "proper" training from Lynn. I even taught my boyfriend to fight, but he had no experience himself."

"I'm pretty sure you taught _the entire town_ how to fight, Sashi," Lincoln couldn't help but crack a joke...

"Just half," ...just as Sashi couldn't help but respond to it.

Immediately after, they reverted back to their semi-serious attitude and continued packing for their trip to California. Lincoln was packed all the typical necessities for a typical road trip, including the large assortment of food, clothes, and an emergency first aid kit or two. Sashi, on the other hand, packed the more heavy-set arsenal (figuratively _and_ literally) for their journey to the west in terms of firearms, cutting-edge technology, and makeshift gadgets. Readying her built-in wrist blasters just as he readied his forged steel shield (courtesy of an old friend), they loaded their luggage in back of the SUV, all the while the people watched with equal parts shock and awe.

"Lincoln, we're coming with you," Luna and her group stepped forward.

"Hold on," Sashi raised a hand to stop them in their tracks before turning to Lincoln. "We can trust them, right?"

"They're practically family, Sashi."

"I'm just making sure before they throw you under the bus again."

"Wait a minute, are you referring to _that_ incident?" Lori inquired. "Because if you are, that was an _accident_."

"No, Lori. Breaking your teeth with my fists is an accident. Better yet, blasting them seems like a better option."

"Sashi..." Lincoln groaned while facepalming himself, "As much as I agree with them making a mistake, we have more pressing matters here. As in, the fate of half of the world is at stake."

"We're still coming with," Ronnie Anne slung her backpack over her shoulders, "I'm not letting my boyfriend go unsupervised around California on a rescue mission, even if he has a highly trained babysitter beside him."

Sashi scoffed before patting Lincoln on the shoulder. "Okay then. I suggest that _they_ be kept in check, though."

As she exited the house, Lincoln dryly remarked "Duly noted," before walking off after her to load their luggage in their mode of transportation.

"She really grows on you, doesn't she?" Ronnie Anne followed soon after.

"I'd give her that," Luna somewhat agreed. "So, California?"

"Yep."

Lincoln walked back in. "Okay. Tony, Violet... You two stay with the others. Sashi, Lori, Luna, and the others will go to California and save Penn, as well as scout for survivors if we can."

"No," Uncle Chuck suddenly interjected, "All of you go. Aunt Rose and I will look after the kids."

"We can handle ourselves," Aunt Rose herself concurred.

Lincoln was hesitant to let this plan go through, but another minute wasted was another step behind the plan to save Penn and the other survivors (if they were any). He silently nodded and hugged the both of them. "Be careful."

"Well, if any of the Gifted are tagging along, I'm gonna have to babysit your asses," Sashi snarked from outside the doorway, "Plus, the jet is going to get a lot more cramped."

"Wait, what? We're going in a jet?" Girl Jordan perked up.

"Some of us are," Clyde shrugged his shoulders, "This jet may be not spacious as Sashi says."

At that moment, Haiku leaned over and pecked him on his right cheek. If he could blush harder, that's what he did.

"Good luck."

"Thanks, Haiku."

The group boarded the jet in question and set a course towards California. Silence and contemplation comprised the atmosphere of the flight there. A day and a half gave them plenty of time to go over a battleplan and its contingencies, as if eleven hours worth of endless driving and small talk wasn't enough time for them. Even so, all of them wished they had more time...in terms of apocalyptic matters.

* * *

Rita loaded her newly acquired Remington 870 Police Magnum Riot shotgun. She never was a big gun nut like the rest of her peers, but taking into consideration what was considered to be a state of emergency, going absolutely unarmed was absolutely out of the question. Of course, a more simple and stripped-down _handgun_ would've been more suitable, given her inexperience with firearms...save for those few times where her father taught her a lifetime's worth of target practice.

Nearby, Albert himself checked the sights of his Pre-War Colt M1911A1 just as Rocky did the same with his own...Colt MK IV Series 80. "Don't put your finger on the trigger yet, kiddo."

"What was that?"

"Don't put your finger on the trigger yet unless you're ready to fire. Also...aim the pistol at a safe direction and treat it like it's loaded, regardless if it is or not."

"... Oh, got it. Thank you, sir."

"Anytime, kiddo."

Nearby, Belle slipped on a welding helmet before doing just that (welding) two pieces of iron together with a blowtorch. Clanging them both with a sledgehammer, she pushed up the helmet and observed her work well done...for now, anyway.

"What is it?" Darcy approached and tilted her head in intrigue, something Gabby and Lindsay did as well.

"This...is what I consider to be one of my proudest inventions...if not _the_ proudest."

"A suit?" Miguel crossed his arms unlike Jackie from behind. "A suit of armor is what you consider to be one of your proudest inventions, if not _the_ proudest?"

"A _powered exoskeleton_ ," Belle shot him a glare before recomposing herself, "but yes. I first developed an interest in this particular genre of science after a rather unfortunate encounter with a superhuman. From that day forward, I learned to balance my musical studies with my mutant research."

"Mutant?" Rocky aimed his pistol at the ground, remembering what Albert taught him. "Like, in **_X-Men_**?"

"Sure," Belle shrugged, "Let's go with that."

 ** _BOOM!_**

Everybody looked up from their nightly business in confusion and fear. Rita and Albert immediately raised their respective weapons in alarm while sheltering their kin and the additional youngsters in their radius.

"What was that?" Myrtle glanced around.

"I'm no expert," Katherine Mulligan picked up Clare in worry, "but I think something's entered the atmosphere."

Belle swiftly detached an arm gauntlet from her unfinished suit and grabbed a SIG-Sauer P226R from the nearby pile of firearms for citizen usage. Katherine pulled a SAI Glock 17 from that same pile while Miguel and Jackie lifted two KRISS Vectors from a worktable and aimed them at the stratosphere. Touching the sky was an intense golden light circling around before landing a few feet from where they stood, creating a crater in the earth. From the mist it also created, a pair of ominous glowing eyes could be seen visible and growing as the figure that they belonged to approached them. This prompted the citizens to aim their guns at it with the intention of protecting themselves and their people clear-cut. However, they were caught off guard and immediately lowered said guard upon getting a much more clearer look at the mysterious figure.

It was a frowning duck. An anthropomorphic frowning duck with your typical orange-yellow bill, leg and foot along with white waist-length hair and swoop bangs. She also donned a slightly brown flight jacket with matching pants, a flight helmet with googles, a blue scarf, white bandages wrapped around her forearm, and a prosthetic left leg. Her eyes soon dimmed and her frown soon softened into that of worry and concern, but not enough to mask her determination.

"I'm going to ask you all once and only once... Who and where in the world is Lincoln Loud?"

* * *

 _ **A/N** : Yeah, I'm not particularly proud of this apologetically/conveniently rushed chapter. I promise the next ones will get better. Anyway, the two groups have up with each other and made a plan to save Penn from the Quantum Realm. The next chapter sees Belle donning her powered exoskeleton, while Lucy and Lola are coming to terms with their powers._


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N**_ _: Before we dive into this chapter (which is just filler), lemme answer a few questions from two of my reviewers._

 _1)_ _ **HEROS CENTRAL**_ _: "Thank you for answering half of my question, but I believe there is still places like California, and Middleburg still uncounted for. It seems that in order for this question to be answered, I must ask these questions only in new locations. Guess the other question besides my casualty questions is who is the Avengers of this universe?"  
1.1) __**MarcellusMiro66**_ _: "Well, I saw the_ _ **Avengers: Endgame**_ _teaser and its subsequent_ _ **Super Bowl**_ _TV Spot when they came out, so I would try to write this universe based on what I've seen in the trailers. Yes, New York and San Francisco (indicated by_ _ **Ant-Man And The Wasp**_ _) are mostly deserted and reminiscent of a ghost town. No, this doesn't mean that all of the cities' denizens have been reduced to dust. And yes...Earth is a complete mess after Thanos completed his mission. Also, you asked about the Avengers of this universe. I would also like to mention (if I hadn't already) that the original Avengers exist, just not in this particular universe."  
1.2) __**The Avengers**_ _are listed as such:_ _ **Tadashi Hamada / Iron Man**_ _,_ _ **Flynn Rider / Captain America / Nomad**_ _,_ _ **Maui / Thor**_ _,_ _ **Rapunzel / Black Widow / White Widow**_ _,_ _ **Wreck-It Ralph / The Hulk**_ _, and_ _ **Kristoff Bjorgman / Hawkeye**_ _. I know that these casting choices may seem confusing and even controversial, but there's a reasonable explanation for them...which can be saved for another time._

 _2)_ _ **Minecraft dude 1**_ _: "This story is really interesting and cool. One question though: Will you bring back the others that disappeared/died in this story if the heroes who disappeared/died in movie come back in Endgame?"  
2.1) __**MarcellusMiro66**_ _: "In a way. Kevin Feige has explained that after_ _ **Endgame**_ _, the setting will be changed irrevocably; meaning, while there are some resurrections, the characters that end up dead will stay dead. Then again, he could be lying not unlike the Russo Brothers, but I'm taking his words to heart."_

 _So, with that said, enjoy! If you can..._

* * *

"How do you know my son?"

The citizens continued to aim their weapons at the walking-and-talking duck for a few more moments before the standoff was ultimately diffused. It wasn't just to perceive everyone and everything that suddenly fell out of the sky as a credible threat, but also to fully process that the credible "threat" standing a few feet before them was an _anthropomorphic duck_. The anthropomorphic duck in question clearly meant no harm to them, judging by the facial expression that gave away hints of what appeared to be worry and concern. Even so, a flurry of determination remained in her eyes and body language until Rita mustered up the courage to approach her.

The duck pilot lowered her defenses and examined the woman from head to toe. "I assume you're the mother?"

"I am."

She nodded and approached more carefully, "Mrs. Loud, my name is Della Duck...and I'm a pilot. I'm looking for Lincoln because he may know something that I don't. I don't want to hurt him. And before you say anything else, I've been stuck on the Moon for 10 years or more. I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I'm pissed off. I miss my sons' birth and their first 10 years or more of their childhood thus far. You, on the other hand, have been there for your son every step of the way. I imagine it's...quite eventful, for lack of a better term. I'm only here because I needed to get home to my family and what do I find? The majority of Duckburg turning to dust, my family nowhere in sight, and myself tearing half of the city apart to find them. I didn't want to assume that they were among the victims, so I traveled all over to find them. And then...I traveled lightspeed, which led me here. To Planet C-53."

Taking a few more tentative steps forward, Della observed the townspeople before her. It was clear that they were purely driven out of mere fear and anxiety of witnessing someone like her just landed from outer space. Rita noticed this as well and lowered her Remington, instead letting it dangle by her side as they both continued their approach towards one another.

"Earth. It's called Earth."

"I'm fully aware of the planet's name. Yes, this is Earth. But no...it's not _my_ Earth. It's an Earth populated by strange, abnormal, and primitive creatures called _humans_. So, I'm sorry, but as far as I'm concerned, this is just Planet C-53."

"Okay, fine. Planet C-53. You can call it whatever you want. The point is, I don't know where my son is, and even if I did, why would I tell you?"

"Were you not listening to me? I said I don't want to hurt Lincoln Loud; I just wish to talk to him. He may be the key to fixing the circumstances we've found ourselves in. Believe me, I know how you feel. You're missing your son, I'm missing my family. So let's make a deal: I'll help you find Lincoln if you help me find my family."

"How do we know we can trust you?"

"You don't have to. It's your choice."

All the while, the townspeople nervously watched their tense back-and-forth as their firearms were left dangling by their sides.

"I trust you."

Everybody now turned toward Lucy, who bravely stepped forward and take her place beside her mother. "I want to find Lincoln, too. A few days before he went missing, he said something about...being in the endgame now."

At her words, Della contemplated them whilst rubbing her chin. A look of realization dawned upon her face as she marched forward some more. "Let's get to work, then."

"Hold on," Miguel protested as he slung his submachine gun over his shoulders, "Just like that, we're supposed to be cool?"

"We really can't do anything at the moment, Miguel," Jackie did the same, "Lincoln's been missing since Thursday night. Besides, she did say it's our choice to trust her."

Principal Huggins approached the pilot, "Considering that he was last seen here in Royal Woods, we should use it at a starting point."

"We have been, Principal Huggins," Camille McCauley groaned in exasperation just as her brother Caleb stomped from behind and added, "We've been doing so since only yesterday."

"What if Lincoln isn't in Royal Woods?" Gabby shrugged her shoulders.

"What do you mean?" Lindsay turned towards her.

"What I mean is... I may or may not have seen Lincoln run back presumably to his house with a few of his friends in tow, the day he went missing."

"Ugh! Why didn't you say something, Gabs?" Camille groaned in annoyance.

"I didn't think it was relevant to bring up at the moment," Gabby defended herself.

"Gabby, who else was with Lincoln that day?" Rita leaned down to her level.

"Clyde, Lincoln's girlfriend, Lincoln's other girlfriend, a really tall blonde girl, a punk-rock girl their age, and an older punk-rock girl with a pixie cut."

"Luna..." Sam murmured under her breath in terror. Only a few selective people knew about her crush on the punk-rock musician such as Lori and Leni, but many others had their own suspicions. "So... Luna's gone with her little brother and his friends in order to save the world...?"

"Well, I didn't say that," Gabby clarified, "I just said that Lincoln and friends rushed back to his house before they went missing."

"So they could save the world," Miguel reached the only logic explanation. "The only question is... _How?_ "

"A road trip would do. Why else would he and the others go missing during this time?"

"Jackie, that's..."

"Far-fetched? Yes, but do you have a better explanation?"

"... Not really. It's better than what I had."

"Well, we need to find them, stat." Della walked over to Belle's laptop and began typing. "Did any of you slip on some sort of tracking device on any of them?"

"My sister Lisa would've," Lucy walked to her side, "but Lincoln deactivated his two summers before. Besides, she's practically dust now. No one could've...done what she could like her."

"Not really..."

Everybody turned to a tired, exhausted, yet deep-in-thought Margo Roberts now. Still clad in her red-and-yellow staking outfit from a late-night roller derby two before, she was in desperate need of a shower and an explanation. Her parents and Paula had turned to dust before her very eyes, and being spared from that terrible event and rendered unaware of their true fates would've been far better than witnessing up close and personal what was essentially their unceremonious deaths. After learning that Lynn, who was basically her best friend since childhood, was one of the victims of this phenomenon, she was on the brink of breaking down and going on a rampage to discover whoever (or _what_ ever) was responsible. What good would that do, though, if she had no viable leads?

"Wait here."

Margo skated towards her tent and retrieved her backpack, opening it up to locate her phone. Well, actually, it wasn't _her_ phone or _a_ phone: It was a technologically-advanced communicating device in the same vein of Lincoln's own communicator. Coincidentally, it was given to her by himself as something of a lighthearted joke on his hands, but she never expected to use it in case of an actual emergency.

Dialing the expected number, Margo slipped on the earpiece and waited until a voice was made through: _"Please leave a message after the beep."_

"Hi... Um, I don't know if you're mad at me or not, but if you are... I understand, but I need your help. The world is ending, a VIP is missing, and I'm currently shitting. Do you think that you can get in contact with one of your friends for me? If you can, that would be appreciated. And...thank you."

Hanging up, Margo exited her tent...to find the group outside her tent. She opened her mouth to say something, but her communicator beeped again. Raising a finger to evoke silence, she answered the call again:

 _"Hello?"_

 ** _"This better be good..."_**

 _"Oh, thank heavens. Listen, please tell me he's alive and well right now."_

 ** _"Well...he's been better. What do you need?"_**

 _"I think...we have an idea in the slightest about what's going on here, but we cannot confirm nor deny our suspicions until we find a VIP who just happens to our only viable lead at the moment."_

 _. . ._

 ** _"Okay... Well, I had no idea in the slightest about anything you just said, so I'm just simplify: You need him to find a VIP who could possibly infuse or diffuse your entire conspiracy theory about what's going on here and possibly the entire world?"_**

 _. . ._

 _"Yeah, that's pretty much it."_

 _. . ._

 ** _"Ugh. This hero stuff has its limits... Okay, I can try to convince him, but he's in a bit of a funk; he lost his stepbrother, parents, and most of his friends in the skirmish."_**

 _"Do your best. I'm with a few dozen survivors here who are hell-bent on getting payback cake. Believe me, he'll want a slice."_

 ** _"I'll inform you on the details. See you then."_**

 _"See you, too."_

Margo hung up again as Lucy approached her.

"Who was that?"

"An old friend...whom I may or may not have pissed off sometime ago. Don't worry, she'll help us."

"How do you know?" Caleb McCauley crossed his arms.

"... I don't, really. Just a hunch."

* * *

On the other side of the communicator, Amanda Lopez took off her earpiece and turned back towards the evacuation center. She rubbed her head in frustration, already on edge from losing her grandparents in addition to three of her closest friends. Milo was there to comfort her and supply a shoulder for her to cry on, but the few times she tried to do so, she just couldn't. She assumed that all of those tears were wasted on the losses of most of her loved ones, but at the same time she doubted it.

Pulling the door open, her abrupt entry caught the attention of many a survivor.

"Where's Phineas Flynn?"

* * *

 _ **A/N** : We're in the endgame now..._


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N**_ _: So, I got an early screening of **Avengers: Endgame** with my family and a few of my friends. I'm not going to spoil anything for you, but I will tell you this: it was an absolute blast. As indicated with the early reviews, it was exciting, entertaining, and a satisfying conclusion to **Marvel's Infinity Saga**. I can only hope its box office returns match that of its predecessor or even surpass **Infinity War** with $3 billion. (Bear in mind, this was written a few weeks ago.)_

 _Anyway, moving on, here are three more answers for three more (well, technically four) questions of three more reviewers:_

 _1) **CodyDees** : "At the start of the story, we get a news report from Gravity Falls. Is this the only time the town is mentioned, or will we hear more from it and its inhabitants?"  
1.1) **MarcellusMiro66** : "No. Thanos' fingersnap affected everyone and everything, from Danville and Echo Creek to Enchancia and Avalor. We'll get a sneak peak eventually, and then they'll play a part, if not essential."_

 _2) **HEROS Central** : "Who's Nomad, and were there any casualties in the Tri-State Area?"  
2.1) **MarcellusMiro66** : "To answer your first question, **Nomad** is a title Steve Rogers gave himself after abandoning the Captain America mantle for a while. To answer your second question... Well, two lists are seen below."  
2.2) **Phineas and Ferb (Survivors)** : Phineas Flynn, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, Candace Flynn, Baljeet Rai, Jeremy Johnson, Stacy Hirano, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Perry The Platypus, Monty Monogram, Lyla Lolliberry, Mishti Patel, Wendy Stinglehopper, Tiana Webber, Bob Webber, Melissa, Eliza Fletcher; Ferb Fletcher ( **2nd Dimension** ), Buford Van Stomm ( **2nd Dimension** ), The Firestorm Girls ( **2nd Dimension** ), Irving ( **2nd Dimension** ), Carl ( **2nd Dimension** ), Vanessa ( **2nd Dimension** ), Charlene ( **2nd Dimension** ), Major Monogram ( **2nd Dimension** )  
2.3) **Milo Murphy's Law (Survivors)** : __Milo Murphy, Amanda Lopez, Balthazar Cavendish, Bradley Nicholson, Lola Sunderguard, Grandpa Murphy, Grandma Murphy, Nate Murphy, Eileen Underwood, Marcus Underwood, Elizabeth Milder, Kyle Drako, Anna, Beatrice, Brittany, Carol, Carl (student), Chelsea, Cherlyn, Cheryl, Concepion, Emery, Erika, Grace, Gretchen Flammkuchen, Haley, Harrison, Jamal, Jemma, Kris (student), Logan, Malee Munns, Matt, Max (boy), Megan, Natalia, Peter, Sarah, Sydney, Tian, Vincent, Bomber, Destiny Summers, Eugene, Frances, Wendy, Pete and Tina, Savannah, Brick, Diogee Murphy, Orton Mahlson; Melissa Chase ( **2nd Dimension** ), Zach Underwood ( **2nd Dimension** ), Sara Murphy ( **2nd Dimension** ), Vinnie Dakota ( **2nd Dimension** ), Mort Schaeffer ( **2nd Dimension** ), Elliot Decker ( **2nd Dimension** )_

 _3) **AS20** : __"Who is the Captain Marvel of this universe?"_  
 _3.1) **MarcellusMiro66** : __"She isn't the first, but for now, Della Duck. And not just because of their similar fiery, headstrong personalities and ace pilot credentials."_

 _So, with that said... Enjoy! If you can..._

* * *

Due to slight turbulence, Lincoln jolted awake and found himself still on the Quinjet with the others. Tony and Violet were at the helm this time while Lori and Bobby were asleep alongside the other kids. The former's head was resting on the latter's shoulder, a position mirrored by their younger siblings across from them. Lincoln smiled down upon Ronnie Anne snoring softly on his shoulder before knowing as he had to get up and stretch, his legs beginning to fall asleep as soon as he himself woke up. Carefully shifting around to unbuckle his seat belt and rest her head someplace else, he slowly stood and moved around, eventually making his way over to the former pilot, who was currently scrolling through photos of her missing boyfriend.

 _"Sashi?"_

The part-time hero looked up from her phone, which she placed down to focus on the fully awake Lincoln, who took a seat across him.

 _"Hey, dude."_

 _"What did I miss?"_

 _"A lot, apparently. We got a call from some old friends of ours in Danville."_

 _"Really? Who survived?"_

 _"Phineas, Isabella, Baljeet, an evil pharmacist, some Canadian agent, and a time travel agent who dresses in Victorian English garb among others. Phineas is pretty shaken up by all of this; his stepbrother, parents, and a majority of his friends were some of the major casualties..."_

 _"Huh... Kinda like me..."_

 _"Kid... I'm so sorry about...Lana and the rest of your family."_

 _"You don't need to apologize; it shouldn't matter anyway. Whoever is responsible for this is going to pay."_

 _"You're right, but don't get ahead of yourself. We don't know who the person responsible for all of this is. One thing I learned on my missions is that anger will cloud your judgment and you wouldn't want that._ _"_

 _"I know...but Lana was scared, Sashi. She was so scared of dying and she didn't even know what was happening."_

Tears began to form in Lincoln's eyes, which he hastily wiped away from his sleeve. Sashi briskly sighed and pulled him in for a hug.

 _"We'll get her back, Lincoln, along with the rest of your family. I promise..."_

Little did the both of them, Ronnie Anne had woken up in the middle of their conversation just as Sashi was going over the list of casualties suffered from the Tri-State Area. She instantly flashbacked to where she saw her Aunt Frida and Grandmother Rosa disintegrate before her very eyes. The fate of her mother wasn't entirely revealed until she and Bobby were alone in a tent in the Royal Woods Park; she could vaguely remember them crying in silence for hours after the revelation. No doubt Lincoln was feeling the same as she was, perhaps even worse, and she couldn't blame him. Half of his family were victims, the death of Lana hitting him harder than any other member and serving as his primary motivation for the mission at hand, a mission that was clearly suicidal and had a million to one chance of succeeding. A mission...that she willingly signed up for in spite of her age. _Why?_

She glanced over at Lincoln.

 _Because I love him..._

"Guys! We're approaching our destination, but I don't know where to land!"

Sashi and Lincoln broke away from their hug and ran towards the cockpit, rendering every sleeping people awake and alert.

"There, there! Land there!"

Tony and Violet spotted a nearby hill park and struggled to land the Quinjet properly, ultimately succeeding with a couple trees serving as the only casualties. Everybody releasing a collective sigh of relief, they exited and began to aimlessly amble around as a disoriented result of the turbulence amount they received courtesy of the flight. Only Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, Clyde, Luna, and Sashi remained unscathed, readying their weapons at the open spaces that were filled with barely audible screams.

"Whew!" Violet wiped her forehead, "What a ride!"

"Totally wild," Girl Jordan giggled in agreement.

"It's about to get wilder," Tony readied his gauntlets.

"I sure hope not," Luna cocked her SIG-Sauer P226R as Bobby chambered his newly acquired two-tone Glock 17.

"So who are we looking for again?"

"Penn Zero: former part-time hero turned full-time, our first mission being stopping the quote "villainous" Ghost from illegally obtaining quantum energy for her own ends."

"Well, technically, she wasn't villainous _per se_ ," Lincoln refuted, "just desperate."

"I know that, Linc," Sashi concurred, "Why else would I use quotes for the word _"villainous"_?"

"Anyway..." Luna seethed in irritation, obviously jealous of the blossoming big-sister/little-brother relationship between her actual little brother and his quote "surrogate big sister", whom she barely knew and already had a painfully sore spot for. "We find him, we get in, and we get out. Easy as pie."

"Not really, as much as I love pie," Ronnie Anne joked for the first part, "Considering that he was studying the Quantum Realm in order to supply its energy for Ghost to use as a substitute, it's possible that he could've..."

"...Gotten trapped inside by mistake?" Lincoln shot her a look of uncertainty.

"I don't know about that," Sashi attempted to deny the inevitable truth, "but it's a possibility. If he is, we have to find him quick and get him back before he gets sucked in a time vortex."

"That can happen?"

"What's a time vortex?"

Before anything more could be said, an explosion rocked the area and nearly blew everybody backward; Tony, Violet, and Girl Jordan in particular were sent stumbling and falling on their rear ends before they recovered once again. Those screams from earlier became louder as much smaller explosions continued to shake the city. Suddenly, gunfire became known as it echoed throughout, visibly disturbing the younger members of the group.

"What's going on?"

"It's a riot," Violet clarified with disdain, readying her force-fielded fists just as Tony readied his steel gauntlets. "Stay close and stay safe."

"She's right. Eyes up, stay sharp." The group then carefully descended the hill with Bobby and Lori in the back, Tony and Violet in front, and Luna, Sashi, and the younger members in the middle.

Inside the heart of the moonlight city, the aforementioned riots were getting increasingly violent as people began fighting over the most trivial of cheap merchandise. Flat screen TVs, waffle irons, and white fluffy towels of all things were among the many goods the citizens tried to get their hands on. No, these weren't your normal, everyday citizens. These were despair-driven, primitive animals who would stop nothing and do anything for survival...including turning on each other.

Megan Gandlym wasn't one of those people. She fell into the section of people just trying to survive in madness where the other half fell. A group of rioters were unaware of this the moment they decided to hold her up for her belongings and whatever else she had. Fighting back was the natural response, but while she did put her dukes up for a good one, the gang ganged up on her in an attempt to rob her on the spot.

"Help! Somebody, help!"

Suddenly, as if her prayers were heard, a high tensile wire wrapped around the gang leader's neck as he pulled a Smith & Wesson Model 5946, effectively choking him and stopping his cronies dead in their tracks. The figure who wielded said wire was a teenager no younger than she was with a primarily black suit with gold outlines throughout it, a black mask with a gap over the eyes, a hood, and armor on the arms and legs with a katana and a wrist-mounted bow. He proceeded to pull him towards his fist, knocking him out and prompting the others to drop Megan and rush to their leader's aid. A male member threw a flurry of punches to no avail, for the figure dodged said punches before leg sweeping him and chopping his neck. A female member slashed at him with a butterfly knife, but he caught her wrist and threw her down, disarming her of the blade. This fight continued for a short while with the masked vigilante utilizing his melee weapons to even out the odds, but even he knew this had to end. The gang leader figured the same thing, for he had retrieved a machete from a nearby ransacked hardware store and charged at him with vicious force. Manically swinging the larger blade at his opponent, the teen effortlessly blocked his hits before slashing his stomach and back.

Clutching his frontal injury, the gang leader cowardly pleaded for his life. The vigilante recognized him through his hood and mask. The man kneeling before him was Kyle Gaffigan, a convicted racist pedophile who only managed to narrowly escape justice because of his father John Gaffigan, who was a member of the church. He himself was equally corrupted and arrogant akin to his kin, but he did care for his son...if only for ulterior motives.

"Mercy... Please... Mercy!"

 _"Every breath you take...is mercy for me."_ The hidden figure sliced upwards this time, forming a cross on his entire chest.

"But why? Why are you doing this?"

 _"You survived; half of the world didn't. They got Thanos. You get me."_

He finished off the irredeemable criminal by stabbing his neck and slicing upwards again, completely cutting his head in half. As the headless corpse collapsed on the pavement, the figure wiped away the blood from his katana and sheathing it, turning to face his gang now. With just one glare, they turned tail and retreated from the scene, evidently learning from their mistake. All the while, Megan watched in shock from a distance, recovering from her previous injuries. Remembering she was there, the figure turned and walked towards her, his hands raised up as a sign of well-meaning. Hugging her arm, the cheerleader walked towards him in order to deduce her savior's true identity. There was no need to, for he began to unmask himself and reveal himself to her.

Megan's shock increased tenfold as she gasped.

Meanwhile, the group arrived and stumbled upon the bloody carnage. Megan turned around and noticed the new arrivals, falling back behind the masked vigilante, who stepped forward and examined the small class before him. Sashi stepped forward as well in horror, as his identity became crystal clear. _I'd recognize that slender build, tan skin, dark brown hair with matching eyes, and right cheek mole anywhere..._

 ** _"Marco?"_**


	9. Chapter 9

The city of Danville was eerily silent for this time of day.

Phineas walked around to find one half of the citizens in utter shambles. What was left of the other half was found as nothing but a pile of ashes that were either left unattended or being blown away by the wind. They had suffered the same fate as his brother, his friends, and (according to what Candace had said) his parents. It was almost as if they had...died. _Was that to be their final fate? To be rather callously killed off unceremoniously without a final word or action?_ The idea made him shudder, trying ever-so-vigorously to wipe it from his mind as he continued throughout the city.

Isabella followed not soon after, her expression matching up with the horror her crush shared. She had trouble coming to terms with the ensuing phenomenon as well, seeing as they both had the misfortune of witnessing it firsthand. Checking her house to find nothing but dust circling the floor and a boiling pot of water, it was safe to assume that her mother was one of the many victims of this strange happening. Of course, stranger things have happened; some evil force of the universe had completely wiped the rest of her Fireside Girls troop from existence but interestingly spared her, possibly to spite her. Tears threatened to flow from her eyes when a voice called out for her. _Isabella...! Isabella...!_

That voice did _not_ belong to Phineas. She turned to find a familiar member of Lil' Sparks running towards her and looking on in horror as people continued to disintegrate before her very eyes, which were threatening to release tears of her own. And so, in spite of her own heartbreak, Isabella pushed it aside in favor curing Melissa of hers, fully aware that the girl a few years younger than her needed nothing short of comfort and consoling in a time such as this. As she ran over to pick her up for a warm hug, she secretly hoped that they both wouldn't become the next victims of the disintegration.

Meanwhile, Baljeet was a few feet away and blankly staring ahead as people went up in ashes, still recovering from the double whammy of his dearly beloved. He was already on edge when his mother was one of the victims, but his anxiety drastically increased when he learned that Ginger had vanished into thin air as well. Having just starting to accept his feelings for the Fireside Girl, he was stunned silent when Candace informed him of the losses they suffered, which ruefully included her as one of the many.

The city of Danville was eerily silent for this time of day.

That was five days ago...

Five days later, the remaining citizens moved into several evacuation centers and set up their temporary homes there. It was during this time that people came to terms with this mysterious and traumatizing phenomenon as they went on with their normal everyday lives with a hint of difficulty. Dr. Doofenshmirtz got in contact with Balthazar Cavendish and Orton Mahlson almost immediately, starting a search-and-rescue foundation for any missing survivors of the city. Monty Monogram and Lyla Lolliberry became partners on those missions as a means to make their deceased parental figures proud and vent their frustration on those whom they deemed unworthy of surviving the quote "snap". Tiana and Bob Webber became something of parental figures themselves towards young Melissa, who was still disturbed over witnessing what was essentially the deaths of many people before her very eyes.

As Isabella watched Tiana and Bob comfort Melissa from afar, her mind backtracked to where this little girl's heart shattered into pieces. Her religious upbringing began to seep through as a result, as she suspected that this mysterious force was equivalent to the Rapture, except that this event...whatever _this_ was...didn't discriminate between who believed in God and who didn't. Her mind already having difficulties focusing on a singular subject, she spotted a 3rd Generation Glock 19 in the pile of gathered firearms and walked over to retrieve it, racking its slide repeatedly.

Meanwhile, in a distance were on-and-off frenemies Wendy Stinglehopper and Mishti Patel (ironically, two of Baljeet's former love interests). Both were dressed in matching uniforms with the standard color palette of a silver shirt, a dark-green beret on their heads, brown straps worn over their left shoulder that appear to store rolled-up strips of paper, brown pants, and black boots with matching fingerless gloves. Wendy's was sleeveless with diamond-shaped patches on the kneecaps; Mishti's had her shirt tucked in with brown pants. Both were jettisoning through another pile of melee weapons (genuine or improvised) so they could properly defend themselves.

"You think Isabella would let us wear these?" Wendy continuously clenched her fists to correctly fit her gloves.

"Which one?" Mishti rummaged through the pile before finding a grappling hook and an aluminum baseball bat. " _Our_ Isabella or _their_ Isabella?"

"... Both."

"Well... Keeping in mind that their dimension is different from our own, we have no idea how Isabella-2 might react."

"Hmm," Wendy agreed as she tied her brunette hair into a high ponytail, "Even so, I think I look cute and feel pretty. Concur?"

"I do."

Baljeet had been working on receiving signals from any remaining survivors so he could report back to his temporary superiors. Still devastated by the death of his closest friends and family, he buried himself into domestic drudgery and tried to deny that any of this was a dream, a hallucination, or something of a beautiful dark twisted fantasy. Denial had settled on the first day, followed by anger on the second, bargaining on the third, and depression on the fourth. Acceptance was a little harder on the fifth, but he had finally wallowed in the misery of his personal losses...with the help of gamma radiation as his prescription drug.

Running a support group for survivors coping with their PTSD, Phineas was doing a little better because of his unwavering optimism and having learned from his previous incident on the island. Despite it being almost a week since the happening, the redheaded inventor wasn't going to let this deter him from two things: 1) providing emotional support to the people who were in dire need of it and 2) finding a way to rectify the situation at hand...if there even was a way.

He was currently seated in a circle comprised of people of varying ages with him among the youngest. Tiana and Bob Webber were seated across from him with Melissa a chair away from him. Johnny and Dana were seated beside him on his left, while the French Fireside Girls (Brigitte, Collette, and Josette) were seated to her right. Dr. Hirano was seated between the two groups (specifically between Tiana and Dana) with her head hung, no doubt hit hard by the losses of both of her daughters on the same day.

"So..." Phineas turned to her now, "What about you, Dr. Hirano?"

"Well..." She rubbed the back of her head and heavily sighed, "There isn't that much to say except...my daughters are gone. I don't know how or why... I just know that they're gone...and I can't do anything about it."

"I know how you feel. Everyone here does. I lost my stepbrother, my parents, and most of my friends as a result of this event. As I want to say move on... I can't. We can't give up hope. Hope for the future. Whatever it brings."

Suddenly, the front door of the center burst open and caught the attention of the occupants; in speedwalked a girl in her early teens. She had an olive skin tone, dark brown eyes with visible eyelashes, shoulder-length wavy burgundy hair with perfectly even bangs that covered her eyebrows; she wore a bright pink jacket with magenta-striped lining on the thick collar above a white crop top, a pair of magenta pants with a darker colored belt and a pink belt buckle, pink flats with darker soles, deep pink lipstick and light pink spherical earrings alongside a magenta headband. She was evidently frazzled from a _very_ long walk from one section of Danville to another, but with good reason.

"Where's Phineas Flynn?"

The majority turned toward the inventor in question himself, who stood up and began walking towards her.

"Who's asking?"

"Me. You may not remember me or even know me. I'm Amanda Lopez, I was turned into a Pistachion before being turned back; my friend Bradley's right arm is still part-plant."

"Yeah, I know you. Milo told me about you."

"Oh. He did?"

"He said that you were a friend of his. How is he?"

"He's...been better. Most of his family were victims as well as Melissa and Zack. You?"

"To name a few... Ferb, my parents, Buford, Django, the Fireside Girls, and Irving." Phineas stopped himself from bursting into tears on the spot by hastily changing to the main subject. "What are you doing here, Amanda?"

"I...received a message from a group of survivors."

This caught the attention of many an occupant again and ignited a small fire of hope within them. Baljeet leaped over and joined the conversation soon after.

"From a part of Danville?"

"No, but from Royal Woods. A group of survivors claim that they may have a way of reversing the deaths, and **_may_ **is the keyword."

Citizens began to murmur amongst themselves, that fire of hope slowly growing. _Royal Woods?_ Phineas rubbed his chin as he softly gasped. _That's Lincoln's hometown!_

"Well, we have to get over there now!"

"Phineas, what are the chances of all of us traveling a thousand miles to meet up with this group?"

"Not all of us, of course. I mean... A select few people like me, you, Isabella..."

"And us too?"

Everybody turned toward Wendy and Mishti now, who continuously leaped over sleeping bags and brown boxes to jump into the conversation.

"You have to take us with you."

"We want in on the action!"

Scanning their makeshift uniforms in realization, Baljeet blinked. _Aren't those the same uniforms worn by..._

"Mishti? Wendy?"

"Yes?"

"Where do you get those?"

"Oh, these?" Wendy twirled around on her tippy-toes to display for all to see. "I grabbed a few from that portal over there. I figured that if you're gonna fight a war, you gotta wear a uniform."

"Portal? What portal?"

The duo pointed to an upstairs area, prompting Phineas, Isabella, Baljeet, and even Melissa to make their way up to investigate, followed by Amanda soon after. Indeed, a portal was there in midair, opening a passage to another universe. However, there was a discernible difference between the portal usually used to travel to the 2nd Dimension and this one. The portal they used was green, this one was bright orange...and constructed out of fire sparks.

"Hmm. Far different from the portal we utilized," Baljeet observed the gateway.

"It's almost magical-like," Isabella mimicked his actions, followed by Phineas soon after.

"Maybe..."

"...but we don't know that for sure," Baljeet refuted. Following the disintegration of 50% of all living things on Earth, people had chalked up to one explanation: a mysterious force, perhaps otherworldly, was responsible. As a firm believer in all things science and logic, this excuse kinda ticked the child prodigy off. He had no patience or tolerance for anything beyond his comfort zone, dismissing them as nothing more than fantastical hokum, supernatural nonsense, and otherworldly rubbish...despite his continuous, unfortunate encounters with it.

"Well, what other explanation is there?"

Baljeet shot a frown at Phineas, who in turn gave a sheepish smile and shrug combo at his friend. Phineas then turned to Amanda now.

"How did you receive the message?"

"With this," Amanda displayed the communicator for him to examine. Taking it from her to examine it further, not a moment passed before he pressed the call button.

* * *

Meanwhile, Margo skated towards the organized crowd of citizens where they were getting ready for what she presumed was war. But why? Why was she among them? She was only a teenager who had no prior battle experience, not counting the one time where Lynn provoked a rival team so hard for picking on a fellow teammate that she instigated a five-hour melee brawl. A lot of bones were broken and a lot of referrals were handed out that day, but Lynn still believed it was all worth it in the end. She never admit it outright, but she was grateful to have her...the most stubborn and headstrong of the Loud Family...as a friend.

Watching the citizens arm themselves with guns, knives, and miscellaneous blunt objects, Margo decided to follow suit. Skating towards the pile and choosing from a plethora of various close quarters weapons, she initially settled on an pair of aluminum baseball bats and brass knuckles but her eyes noticed the twin machetes sheathed and hanging nearby. Taking them up and unsheathing them at once, she gazed at herself reflected in the two blades. Well, one blade anyway; in the other blade, she saw her deceased best friend in the other, looking as despondent as she was.

"Oh, Lynn..." Margo softly lamented under her breath.

Suddenly, the communicator beeped, catching her attention but dare not getting her hopes up. _Not yet..._ Margo answered the call.

 _. . ._

"Hello?"

 _. . ._

"Phineas? Hey."

 _. . ._

"You did? Well, that's great."

 _. . ._

"Really?"

 _. . ._

"Yes, of course. I'll tell them right away."

 _. . ._

"Alright, we'll see you soon. Bye, Phineas."

 _. . ._

…before hanging up as she finished.

"Were those survivors?"

"GAH!"

Leaping in fright, Margo turned around to find one of Lincoln's sisters standing behind her. _Was it Lydia or was it Lulu?_

"Oh...Lucy. I didn't see you standing there."

"No one ever does..."

Feeling a twinge of sympathy for her if only for a brief moment, Margo answered her question next.

"And yes, those were survivors from Danville. A fair few will be arriving here in two days at the most."

"Finally, some actual good news."

Margo and Lucy turned to Principal Huggins and Rita arriving with slung firearms.

"Danville, you say?" The latter inquired curiously.

"Yes, an old friend of mine resides there," The former rubbed his chin, "but I doubt he was one of the survivors. We need to get ready for their arrival."

"Principal Huggins, what about Lincoln? We can't just call off the search."

"I'm fully aware of that, Miss Roberts. That's why we're not; we're merely passing the search off to more capable hands."

As the group walked off to join the others, Lucy's eyes glowed bright blue...reverting to normal only after blinking.

 _What in the hell is happening?_

* * *

 _ **A/N** : For a question posed by **A Two Sided Figure** , the answer is Yes. I will continue with **Drive** , but I will make some rewrites to make it more in line with my usual style. It would be a shame to leave quite possibly my most popular story on the website on an undeserved cliffhanger. _


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